This vitamin is usually found in the daily diet such as bread, meat, fish and nuts.
Experts have warned in their new study that consumption of a crucial vitamin can increase the risk of deadly diseases such as cardiovascular disease and inflammation of blood vessels.
This vitamin is usually found in the daily diet such as bread, meat, fish and nuts.
A study published Monday in the journal Nature medicine revealed the risk of blood vessel damage and heart disease from excessive consumption of the B vitamin niacin.
According to health experts, it is suggested to consume 16 mg per day for men and 14 for non-pregnant women.
Author Dr. Stanley Hazen, director of cardiovascular and metabolic sciences at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute, said, “About 1 in 4 Americans has a higher than recommended level of niacin.”
How much niacin is harmful to health is still unclear and will be determined in future research.
Dr Hazen said: “The average person should avoid niacin supplements now that we have reason to believe that taking too much niacin can potentially lead to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.”
“Americans consume a lot of niacin in their diet, since scientists revealed in the 1940s that low levels of this nutrient can cause a deadly disease called pellagra,” Dr. Hazen said.
Before statins were used to lower blood cholesterol, niacin supplements were prescribed to improve cholesterol levels.
In the investigation, experts found the existence of a substance in those blood samples that contained excessive amounts of niacin.
It was revealed that the breakdown product of niacin can cause a future risk of heart attack, stroke and death in the participants.
According to Dr. Robert Rosenson, director of metabolism and lipids at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, the findings were fascinating and important.
This research may pave the way for the development of drugs for these types of diseases.
Dr. Rosenson, who was not involved in the study, expressed hope that the food industry will reduce niacin levels in products such as bread.
“This is a case where too much of a good thing can become a bad thing.”
