Niacin

Niacin, a B vitamin, has shown encouraging preliminary results. Niacin is given to people with elevated cholesterol to increase levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol. In an open label study at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco, sixteen participants received an average of 3.00g a day. After a mean duration of one year, 81% of patients had experienced reductions in intra-abdominal fat as measured by a ‘single-slice’ abdominal CT scan. The average reduction in those who experienced improvement was 27%, and the degree of fat loss was significantly associated with the degree of increase in HDL cholesterol and a reduced TC/HDL cholesterol ratio.

Not all patients were able to tolerate niacin, due to side-effects at high doses which include flushing, tingling and burning sensations, especially in the upper body, as well as nausea, diarrhoea and headaches. Doses of 2.00g or higher should not be attempted without medical advice, and people with irregular heartbeats should consult their doctor before taking large doses of niacin, due to the potential for altered heart rate. Another study, in fourteen patients, found that after 14 weeks of niacin 2000mg, insulin sensitivity had significantly worsened. Body composition was not measured, but central fat accumulation might be expected to worsen if insulin sensitivity declines.¹