Vitamin B3 Overdose Could Increase Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke

Vitamin B3 offers several health benefits. However, it's not good to consume too much of it.

Taking Too Much Vitamin B3 Affects the Heart

Vitamin B3, or niacin, is a water-soluble B vitamin. It can be found in meat, fish, nuts, legumes, brown rice, and fortified cereals.

Its primary function in the body is to support our cells' molecular machinery by converting sugar into energy, DNA synthesis and repair, eliminating harmful metabolic waste products, and producing "good" cholesterol and healthy fats. Since niacin is soluble in water, urine often eliminates it.

However, a new study from the Cleveland, Ohio-based Lerner Research Institute indicates that two of this vitamin's breakdown products might be linked to a higher risk of heart disease and strokes.

Globally, heart attacks and strokes rank among the top causes of death. Although researchers have made significant progress in identifying some risk factors for these illnesses during the past few decades, not all of them have been found.

"If you treat [high] cholesterol and [high] blood pressure and diabetes and all the existing risk factors, you can still suffer a heart attack," said Stanley Hazen at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. "There is something that we are missing."

To find the answer, Hazen and his associates gathered blood samples from 832 persons in Europe and 2331 adults in the US who had chosen to get cardiovascular screenings to close these discrepancies. The group examined the samples to look for chemicals known as metabolites, which are waste products of metabolic activities like digesting. Then, during three years, the researchers monitored the participants' incidence of cardiac events, such as heart attacks and strokes.

They discovered that, on average, persons with higher levels of the metabolite 4PY were about 60% more likely than those with lower levels to encounter such an incident. Only when the body breaks down extra niacin does this chemical form.

This is alarming since, on average, Americans consume 48 mg of niacin per day-roughly three times the recommended daily consumption of 16 mg, based on data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys conducted between 2018 and 2020.

Although more research is required to validate these findings, vitamin B3 is crucial for sustaining a nutritious, well-balanced diet. However, according to the authors, these results call for additional investigation into these impacts and cast doubt on the United States' requirement that cereals be fortified with this vitamin.

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Niacin Overdose Symptoms

Niacin overdose is not possible by consuming an excessive amount of niacin-rich food. Nevertheless, taking excessive amounts of niacin from prescription or over-the-counter sources might be harmful.

Signs and symptoms of niacin overdose include the following:

Severe flushing of the skin accompanied by vertigo
Fast heartbeat
Itching
Experiencing nausea and vomiting
Pain in the abdomen
Constipation
Gout

The majority of physicians now only advise niacin to treat high triglyceride levels in patients who are unable to take statins due to their association with liver damage and strokes. See your doctor if you have any concerns about taking niacin.