maandag 19 december 2011

Niacin Energy Boosts: Good for Weight Loss or Fable?

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Energy Booster

Vitamins of the B complex like niacin are notorious for giving people more energy.  Many energy drinks and pre-workout boosters contain high doses of niacin. However, do you really need a very high dose of niacin in order to enjoy increased energy? The purpose of this article is to answer this question once and for all.

A Lack of Niacin

Recent research has shown that niacin indeed increases energy, but that little amounts of niacin are needed to achieve this effect. People who are deficient in niacin either through binge drinking or a lack of niacin in their diet profit most of the energy boost. However, people who are already overdosing niacin experience little or no increased energy. Amounts exceeding 200 mg, like is the case in many popular energy drinks is totally superfluous and can lead to nasty side effects like a red skin and headaches due to a niacin flush.

Getting an Energy Boost

In order to enjoy the increased energy you can either take in niacin supplements, but you can also eat natural foods that are dense in niacin. My favorite foods high in niacin are as follows:

  • Wild salmon | 9.3 mg vitamin b3 per 3 ounces serving.
  • Peanut butter | 5.3 mg niacin per 1 ounce serving.
  • Sun dried tomatoes | 8.7 mg vitamin b3 per 100 grams serving.
  • Tamari | 1.3 mg vitamin b3 per tab.
  • Raw Crimini mushrooms | 6.4 mg niacin per 5 OZ.

Avoiding Side Effects

Side effects can be avoided by monitoring the amount you consume thoroughly and by taking some preventive measures. A great tip I can give you is to jot down in a notepad how much niacin you have consumed during the day. Moreover, it is better to spread niacin over the whole day instead of taking it all in one time. Lastly, be sure to drink a lot of water during the flushing period. In this way, you can truly enjoy benefits of vitamin b3, without having to worry about common niacin side effects like a red skin.

zondag 18 december 2011

The Dangers of Niacin Deficiency and Best Ways to Prevent a Lack of Niacin in Your Diet

Balanced Diet

One of the most overlooked causes of depression must be a lack of niacin in your diet. A niacin deficiency can lead to all sorts of adverse health conditions. First of all, you will have less energy, because vitamins of the B complex give you energy to do things. Moreover, if you’re deficient in niacin over a prolonged period of time, you can even get the disease pellagra. In order to avoid this, it is recommended to niacin flush regularly.

Signifiers of a Niacin Deficiency

There are multiple signifiers that indicate that you may be deficient in niacin. First of all, lesion can appear on your body. This mostly occurs symmetrically. Skin that is exposed to sunlight has a higher chance of developing lesion.

When you are deficient in niacin, there may also be some blood in your stool. Other common side effects are:

  •  Vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Distention

Finally, the mucous membrane of the mouth may be severely irritated. Moreover, your tongue may become fire red. This is usually accompanied with increased salivation.

What to Do

Often, people that are binge drinking a lot, while having a lack of niacin in their diet develop the side effects associated with niacin deficiency. This occurs because niacin destroys the little niacin you have in your body. Therefore, it might be crucial to stop drinking for a while. Moreover, it is a good idea to consume lots of niacin dense foods like:

1.       Lentils | 4.2 mg vitamin b3 per cup.
2.      
Shiitake mushrooms | 6.2 mg niacin per cup.
3.      
Organic turkey | 3.4 mg vitamin b3 per 3 ounces serving.
4.      
Organic chicken| 12.3 mg niacin per 3 ounces serving.
5.      
Wild salmon | 14.2 mg vitamin b3 per 3 ounces serving.

It is highly recommended to eat these foods instead of taking in niacin supplements, since these foods also contain other highly important nutrients that are good for overall health. In order to become niacin sufficient, you will have to consume about 20 mg per day. This is more than enough to avoid side effects of deficiency like a niacin depression.

The Dangers of Niacin Deficiency and Best Ways to Prevent a Lack of Niacin in Your Diet

Normal 0 21 false false false NL X-NONE X-NONE

Balanced Diet

One of the most overlooked causes of depression must be a lack of niacin in your diet. A niacin deficiency can lead to all sorts of adverse health conditions. First of all, you will have less energy, because vitamins of the B complex give you energy to do things. Moreover, if you’re deficient in niacin over a prolonged period of time, you can even get the disease pellagra. In order to avoid this, it is recommended to niacin flush regularly.

Signifiers of a Niacin Deficiency

There are multiple signifiers that indicate that you may be deficient in niacin. First of all, lesion can appear on your body. This mostly occurs symmetrically. Skin that is exposed to sunlight has a higher chance of developing lesion.

When you are deficient in niacin, there may also be some blood in your stool. Other common side effects are:

  • Vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Distention

Finally, the mucous membrane of the mouth may be severely irritated. Moreover, your tongue may become fire red. This is usually accompanied with increased salivation.

What to Do

Often, people that are binge drinking a lot, while having a lack of niacin in their diet develop the side effects associated with niacin deficiency. This occurs because niacin destroys the little niacin you have in your body. Therefore, it might be crucial to stop drinking for a while. Moreover, it is a good idea to consume lots of niacin dense foods like:

1.       Lentils | 4.2 mg vitamin b3 per cup.
2.      
Shiitake mushrooms | 6.2 mg niacin per cup.
3.      
Organic turkey | 3.4 mg vitamin b3 per 3 ounces serving.
4.      
Organic chicken| 12.3 mg niacin per 3 ounces serving.
5.      
Wild salmon | 14.2 mg vitamin b3 per 3 ounces serving.

It is highly recommended to eat these foods instead of taking in niacin supplements, since these foods also contain other highly important nutrients that are good for overall health. In order to become niacin sufficient, you will have to consume about 20 mg per day. This is more than enough to avoid side effects of deficiency like a niacin depression.