When my doc said that my cholesterol was too high and that he feared that I could be at risk for cardiovascular disease without the start of drug therapy, I knew I needed to get serious. Now I am no expert on things like Lipitor or Crestor, but I am an advocate against taking any drug that can be avoided through the use of natural methods such as good diet and supplementation. And since I am in my early 40s and have no health issues other than being about 20 pounds heavier than I should be, I went looking for another alternative.
I have been a student of natural health and supplementation for as long as I can remember. Now, when I say student, that is what I mean. I am not an expert and even worse, I was not practicing, just learning. As I was about to leave my doctor's office, he provided me with a pamphlet with an 800 number to call for nutritional help and provided me with these parting words; "Remember to exercise daily, and most of all practice Portion Control. The exercise thing, I have been doing, but portion control, that was an interesting comment that stuck with me.
Vit B Complex
When I got home, I placed the pamphlet on nutritional help aside for the moment and decided to try and do some research on the best way to reduce cholesterol safely and quickly since I only had 3 months until my next booked blood test. From past research, I seemed to recall the Niacin vitamin B3 was touted as having a favorable mention as a natural way to reduce ones LDL's and increase the HDL's. So I decided to start with learning what I could about B3 (the water soluble vitamin).
As it turns out there are 2 main variants of vitamin B3, Nicotinamide and Nicotinic Acid. Both of these are referred to as Niacin. However, there is a major distinction that must be made and understood. Nicotinamide is often the most popular of the two which you will find in a B complex, multiple vitamin and as B3 on your vitamin supplement supplier's shelf. The Nicotinamide version is thought, by many, to be the better of the two as it is often slow release and does not cause flushing. This is true, but that is where the benefits stop. Nicotinamide will do NOTHING to improve your cholesterol levels, and as far as I understand, presents a far greater risk of adversely affecting your liver. The bottom line is if you choose to supplement your nutrition with vitamin B3, especially for the purpose of improving your Cholesterol levels, you should be choosing Vitamin B3 with the active ingredient of Nicotinic Acid, NOT Nicotinamide.
So, what are the side effects from using Nicotinic Acid? The largest and most common known side effect in controlled quantities is that of flushing. Flushing, for the unexpected, can be a very scary symptom as some may confuse this reaction with a more serious allergic reaction. However, there is no need for concern. Nicotinic Acid is a vasodilator, meaning that it will open up your tiny blood capillaries (arteries) that reach to your outermost regions of your body, just below your skin. This dilation causes a flushing redness to your skin, often resembling a sunburn or even hives without the swelling. Accompanying the redness is a slight burning, again almost like a sunburn feeling, along with mild itching. Even to this day, when I get a flush reaction, it scares the heck out of my wife. It looks much worse than it feels, and it can feel very uncomfortable for up to 45 minutes. I don't always get this reaction, however, the higher the dose I take, the more likely I will react. The reaction can occur from within minutes to up to an hour after taking the B3, which I almost always supplement with a B50.
I am not going to get into the technical mechanism of how the Cholesterol is effected, but I do want to provide you with some food for thought by posing the following question; How bad can it be to dilate your capillaries (small arteries), and thus enabling fresh oxygen and nutrients to reach parts of your body that are starving for such goodness? And, not to forget, the additional action of cleansing these areas by removing toxins that are stored and produced by your body.
Okay, so what has this done for me so far? In answering this question, I ask that you keep in mind that my regular regiment of Nicotinic Acid was not done in isolation. With it, I also included other supplements such as a good multivitamin, high fiber diet, limited portions per meal and of course regular exercise. In three months, I was able to reduce my total cholesterol by almost 25%. This reduction resulted in similar adjustments in the other individual factors such as my LDL and Triglycerides as well. My doctor was very pleased and explained to me that now that I have proved that I can control my Cholesterol, and am not one of the rare individuals who due to genetics have no choice but to be put on a Statin, I can avoid the use of synthetic drugs. I still have a way to go to get to my ideal levels, but the initial three month kick off was monumental and I absolutely know that my regular intake of Nicotinic Acid was an essential ingredient.
Of course before starting your road to better health and lower cholesterol, please make sure you consult with your own medical health adviser. Outcomes may and likely will vary from individual to individual, including possible adverse reactions.
Black Friday Twinlab Stress B-Complex Caps with Vitamin C, 250 Capsules 2011 Deals
Nov 21, 2011 00:16:36
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Black Friday Twinlab Stress B-Complex Caps with Vitamin C, 250 Capsules Feature
- One bottle containing 250 vitamin b-complex with vitamin c capsules
- Contains high-potency B-vitamins and Vitamin C; yeast free
- Easy to swallow and assimilate
- Well tolerated by most highly allergic individuals; no added flavorings, sugars, salt, artificial sweeteners, colorings, preservatives or salicylates
- Packaged in a glass bottle for maximum stability, quality and freshness
Black Friday Twinlab Stress B-Complex Caps with Vitamin C, 250 Capsules Overview
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