Health Trend
One of the most popular phenomena in the health& fitness world of the last few years is niacin overdosing, maybe better known as niacin flushing. It entails that you consciously take in an overdose of vitamin 3 in order to cause vasodilation. This effect has multiple benefits: From preventing depression to improving cholesterol. This article will provide you with some guidelines on how to enjoy the benefits of niacin flushing without having to endure nasty side effects like severe headaches and red skin.
Niacin Benefits
It has already been known for a long time that niacin works very well in improving good cholesterol (HDL) and lowering bad cholesterol (LDL). However, niacin flushing has more benefits like:
- Preventing niacin depression. If your diet is deficient in niacin or you drink a lot of alcohol, you will inevitably become depressed by the lack of niacin in your body. You will need around 20 mg of niacin per day to stay healthy.
- Weight Loss. When overdosing niacin regularly, you can lose some fat. This is possible because overdosing niacin transforms some body fat into energy. This indirectly helps you to lose fat, because you can run a little longer or do some more exercises at the gym. However, just consuming niacin and watching television won’t do you any good; it is no magic pill.
- Bodybuilding. Some bodybuilders take a bit of niacin prior to a bodybuilding contest, because it makes you more vascular. This can give you a competitive advantage during a bodybuilding contest. Moreover, you can consume niacin prior to sleeping to stimulate the production of growth hormone that builds muscle and strength.
Niacin Foods
I heavily recommend eating foods dense in niacin instead of taking in supplements. This is not only much healthier, but these foods also contain other nutrients that are very good for your health. The following foods are very dense in niacin:
- Lentils | 3.1 mg niacin per cup.
- Shiitake mushrooms | 7.50 mg niacin per cup.
- Wild salmon | 5.6 mg niacin per 3 ounces serving.
- Sun dried tomatoes | 12.1 mg niacin per 100 grams serving.
- Lima beans | 4.9 mg per cup.
Avoiding Side Effects
In order to prevent niacin side effects, you can do a few things. First of all I recommend to jot down in a notebook how much niacin you consume every day. Moreover, it is wise to take in some aspirins 30 minutes prior to your niacin rich meal. Finally, take in some vitamin C pills prior to the niacin meal.