Niacin
for HDL Increase
HDL stands
for high-density lipoprotein or is called ‘good’
cholesterol because it acts
like a vacuum cleaner sucking up all the cholesterol it can find and
transporting it back to the liver for excretion. LDL (low-density
lipoprotein)
particles have the opposite function – they deliver
cholesterol from the liver
to the cells that need it. Healthy levels for HDL are above 40 mg/dL
for men
and 50 mg/dL for women. However, if your LDL level is high, low levels
of HDL
cannot gather up all the surplus cholesterol that is being transported
by the
LDL particles and not used by the cells. Hence, much of this
cholesterol may
end up in artery-cell walls and in time may restrict blood flow through
them.
In
cases where HDL levels in the
blood are too low, it is possible to increase there number with niacin.
In
small quantities niacin, which is vitamin B3, is a vitamin helping the
body
perform certain functions. In large doses (2,000 mg or more per day),
it can
increase the number of HDL particles in the blood, in some cases by
35%, and
help the body remove more harmful cholesterol thus lowering the risk of
heart
disease. This has
been known for sometime
and has been used by many heart doctors to move their patients out of
harm’s
way. It probably has not been well known to the public because of two
reasons: presently
the medical approach
is to lower LDL levels, and the pharmaceutical companies –
for monetary reasons
- want a drug to do the job of raising HDL levels and so far they
haven’t been
able to come up with one. Niacin is simple but is not necessarily under
pharmaceutical control thus it has not been made public.
The
taking of megadoses of Niacin
should not be done unless under a doctor’s care.
This vitamin
can hurt liver
function and if you are taking other medications you may experience
drug
interactions. A doctor is required to monitor your progress and prevent
any
harmful side effects. High-dose
niacin can be dangerous to your system
– only
take it under a doctor’s care.
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