Vitamin B3 supports your cardiovascular health

Cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death in the world today, so we must pay it mind to stay healthy. Vitamin B3 has long been known to reduce blood lipid levels when supplemented in high doses, but what about dietary intake? A new study shows that eating more vitamin B3-rich foods is beneficial for blood lipids and fat metabolism. (1)

The link between blood lipids and cardiovascular disease

To understand the new study, it is essential to very briefly discuss the role of blood lipids. There is a lot of contradictory, or false information about them, and the different acronyms, ratios, categorizations of 'good' and 'bad' only confuse people further.

Lipids refer to various water-insoluble fat-based substances, such as cholesterol and triglycerides circulating in our blood. Because they are insoluble in water, they are transported by so-called lipoproteins: these include HDL and LDL, which have gained the titles of good and bad cholesterol respectively.

As in so many other cases, the overly simplistic categories of good and bad don't hold up here, but the specifics of the different blood lipids and markers form a complex topic that is beyond the scope of this article. What is important to point out is that above a certain level, vital substances can become harmful; this is the case for water, sugar and blood lipids.

The situation is somewhat complicated by HDL, known as the good cholesterol, as higher levels are thought to be beneficial, although this is not actually true either according to current science. HDL enhancement has not lived up to expectations and has disappointed in recent randomized trials. (2)

In the same way that high blood sugar levels are a problem and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, the same is true for blood lipids.

If one of these levels is well outside the healthy range, and is referred to as a lipid metabolism disorder, or lipid abnormality. The extent of this determines the degree of increased cardiovascular risk.

The link between vitamin B3 and blood lipids

As mentioned in our vitamin B3 tutorial, when supplemented at extremely high doses, it has a beneficial effect on blood lipid levels. More specifically, it slightly lowers LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while significantly increasing HDL. Unfortunately, however, high-dose niacin (vitamin B3) supplementation has not lived up to expectations, as it does not significantly reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. (3)

This seemingly contradictory result may be because vitamin B3, when consumed in high doses, is also bad for both blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, both of which are also very important for the cardiovascular system.

It has long been known that vitamin supplementation in huge doses often has a very different effect from the way it is consumed in everyday life. But what about the dietary intake of vitamin B3? Could this significantly improve blood lipid levels?

The effect of dietary B3 on blood lipid levels

A new meta-analysis sought to answer this question by publishing the pooled results of 3 observational studies. In total, 211,567 participants over 40 years of age were examined for vitamin B3 intake and the occurrence of lipid metabolism disorders.

For a diagnosis of dyslipidemia, at least 1 of the following criteria had to be met: (Different countries often use different units of measurement, so conversion may be necessary)

• Total cholesterol: higher than 200 mg/dl
• LDL-C: higher than 130 mg/dl
• HDL-C: lower than 40 mg/dl
• Triglycerides: higher than 150 mg/dl

Participants were grouped into different categories based on the vitamin B3 content of their diet, and then tested for the prevalence of fat metabolism disorders within their rank. Those with the highest dietary intake of vitamin B3 had a nearly 30% lower risk than those with the lowest intake.

This relationship was linear in 2 of the 3 studies, meaning that the risk decreased progressively with increasing intake. Exactly how much protection this confers against cardiovascular disease is not clear, but fat metabolism disorders and high levels of LDL and triglycerides are serious risk factors.

It is easy to get the recommended amount of vitamin B3, especially if you eat meat: 150 g will already cover your total daily requirement, and as too much vitamin B3 can have its drawbacks, you might want to be careful with supplementation.

However, there is no doubt that its absence can cause many problems, as this meta-analysis clearly shows. If someone has high levels of triglycerides, they should start consuming fish oil in addition to lifestyle changes and ensure a higher intake of vitamin B3.