Hi Jackie,   Yes, niacin is found naturally in foods.  However, if you want to use niacin for therapeutic reasons (such as raising HDL) it's not realistic to get the level of niacin you need for results from food alone.    For example, 1 cup of fortified cereal provides 20-27 mg of niacin.  Cereal is one of the top sources of niacin.  Studies show that low doses of niacin (~100 mg/d) only slightly raise HDL and do not have an impact on other heart health components, such as LDL and triglycerides.  So, if you're fathers MD prescribed 1000 mg supplement, it's not realistic you can replace this with foods.   All the best, Lisa Nelson RD How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally