High cholesterol: Taking this daily supplement could help lower your levels

High cholesterol means a person has too much of a fatty substance in their blood. It is closely linked to leading an unhealthy life including eating too much saturated fat and not getting enough exercise. Fortunately, taking a certain supplement, could reduce cholesterol levels, and the risk of serious health complications could be lessened.

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As a treatment for cholesterol, there are numerous studies indicating that niacin can help to boost levels of good cholesterol and lower triglycerides.

Niacin also helps to lower LDL “bad” cholesterol and is sometimes prescribed in combination with statins for cholesterol control.

However, niacin is only effective as a cholesterol treatment at fairly high doses.

What is niacin?

Niacin is a B vitamin which is used by the body to turn food into energy.

Niacin also helps keep the nervous system, digestive system and skin healthy.

Used as a treatment, niacin increases a person’s HDL cholesterol or helps correct a vitamin deficiency.

Niacin can help raise HDL cholesterol by more than 30 percent.

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There’s currently some debate about the exact role HDL plays in the body and in the development of heart disease, according to Medical Research Today.

It continued: “But HDL has generally been thought to pick up excess “bad” cholesterol in your blood and take it to your liver for disposal, which is why HDL is dubbed the “good” cholesterol.

“Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams per decilitre.

“For men, HDL levels under 40 mg/dL increase the risk of heart disease.

“For women, HDL levels under 50 mg/dL increase the risk of heart disease.”

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Niacin is also known as nicotinic acid and is an organic compound that is an essential human nutrient.

Prescription niacin is used to increase high density lipoprotein cholesterol and helps remove low-density lipoprotein from the bloodstream.

Niacin is often part of a daily multivitamin to help keep the nervous system, digestive system and skin healthy.

The recommended daily intake of niacin is 14 milligrams for women and 16 milligrams for men.

As a cholesterol treatment, there are good studies showing that niacin can boost levels of good HDL cholesterol.

Niacin also has other health benefits and has been shown to help reduce atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries in some people.

For those who have already suffered from a heart attack, niacin seems to lower the risk of having a second one.

Niacin is FDA-approved and can also help with the condition known as pellagra which develops from a niacin deficiency. 

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