Health Trend: Niacin Flushing

One of the greatest trends of the last few years in the health & fitness world was niacin flushing. To reiterate: Niacin flushing entails that you consciously take in an overdose of niacin in order to cause vasodilation in the system. This process has several health benefits like improved cholesterol, losing weight and growing back hair naturally. This article will explain how this exactly works, how you can achieve these benefits yourself too and how to prevent side effects.

Niacin Flushing Explanation

When you consume a surplus of vitamin b3 (niacin), basically you give the body a chance to get rid of toxic waste cluttered in the capillaries. Blood flow is normally weak here, so by increasing circulation your body is able to remove this toxic waste.  Moreover, this process also improves cholesterol.

Niacin flushing can also help people trying to lose weight. However, niacin flushing should not be regarded as some sort of magic pill to lose weight. When you take in the overdose of vitamin b3, your body will transform some fat into energy and this enables you to do more exercises at the gym or run longer on the tread mill. Indirectly, niacin flushing does indeed help to shred some pounds.

Finally, niacin flushing can work wonders in growing back hair. The process of niacin flushing also improves circulation to the scalp and this improves the production of hair. Moreover, niacin flushing reduces the amount of DHT in the body, a form of testosterone that can make men bald.

Achieving These Benefits Yourself Too

In order to provoke niacin flush you can basically choose out of two options: take in niacin supplements or just eat lots of niacin dense foods. Personally I heavily recommend the latter option, not only because this is much healthier but also because the supplements are often way too concentrated. The following list contains my favorite selection of niacin dense foods:

1. Sun dried tomatoes | 10.2 mg vitamin b3/niacin per 200 grams serving.
2. Organic chicken| 9.9 mg niacin/vitamin b3 per 2 ounces serving.
3. Organic turkey | 7.3 mg vitamin b3/niacin per 4 ounces serving.
4. Raw Crimini mushrooms | 6.1 mg niacin/vitamin b3 per 4 OZ.
5. Shiitake mushrooms | 4.3 mg vitamin b3/niacin per cup.
6. Tamari | 2.4 mg vitamin b3 per tab.

Avoiding Niacin Side Effects

In order to avoid the side effects of a niacin flush, it is recommended to closely monitor consumption; Personally, I think it is a good idea to write down in a notepad how much you have consumed during the day.  Around 50-90 mg is more than enough. More than 500 mg will definitely lead to nasty side effects.

Moreover, a good remedy is to take in an aspirin 30 minutes prior to the niacin rich meal. In all cases, be sure to drink lots of water and avoid alcoholic drinks. If you follow this advice, you will be able to experience niacin benefits without having to worry about side effects like a red skin or a tingling feeling in the chest.