No-Flush Niacin

Although I instructed Gwen on where and how to obtain niacin, she went to a health food store and bought "no-flush niacin," or inositol hexaniacinate. She was curious why she experienced none of the hot flush I told her about.

When she came back to the office some weeks later to review her treatment program, she told me that chest pains had returned. On questioning her about what she had changed specifically, the problem became clear: She'd been taking no-flush niacin, rather than the Sloniacin® I had recommended.

Correcting Gwen's small LDL was a crucial step in keeping her safe. No-flush niacin contributed nothing and, in fact, may have pushed her closer to yet another procedure.

What is no-flush niacin? It is inositol hexaniacinate, a molecule that indeed carries six niacin molecules attached to an inositol sugar backbone. ("Hex" means six.) Unfortunately, it exerts virtually no effect in humans. It is a scam. I have seen around 100 patients try it; all uniformly showed no effect whatsoever. Likewise, there are no clinical studies documenting effectiveness. 

Niacin¾the real thing¾exerts real and substantial beneficial effects.

Though I love nutritional supplements in general, it pains me to know that supplement distributors and health food stores persist in selling this outright scam product that not only fails to exert any of the benefits of real niacin, it also puts people like Gwen in real danger because of its failure to provide the effects she needed.

No-flush or flush-free does nothing except drain your wallet. I continue to marvel at the fact that supplement manufacturers persist in selling this product. Ironically, it commands a significant premium over other niacin forms.

So, if niacin saves lives, no-flush niacin in effect could kill you. Avoid this scam like the plague.

No-flush niacin does not work. Period.

Disclaimer: I have no relationship with Upsher Smith, nor any other manufacturer of niacin.

What nutritional supplement increases "good" HDL cholesterol 10-20 mg/dl, reduces triglycerides, reduces small LDL particles (the number one cause for heart disease in the U.S.), even reduces risk for heart attack substantially with no side-effects? It doesn't even require a prescription.

If we believed the advertising claims, that bill would fit inositol hexaniacinate, commonly known as "no-flush" or "flush-free" niacin. 

Sound too good to be true?

Yes, it does. And, indeed, it is too good to be true.

While niacin─the real stuff─does raise HDL, reduce small LDL particles and achieve all those other wonderful effects, it also can cause an annoying "hot flush" that feels like the warm flush of acute embarrassment. It occasionally causes more intense rashes. This has dampened enthusiasm for niacin, despite its unquestioned benefits.

I've used plenty of niacin in my program for reversal and control over coronary disease (plaque) and have found it an invaluable component of our approach. However, some people struggle with the hot flush effect. No matter how hard they try, some people simply cannot tolerate the feeling. (This applies to about 10% of people; the other 90% do just fine, provided they hydrate well.)