Managing cholesterol
HDL up. Triglycerides down.
That’s a simple game plan that will go a long way to help your heart stay healthy. And there’s one supplement that could help you do both of those things.
In the e-Alert “Beef ‘n’ Butter” (4/20/04), I told you about a new class of drugs (not yet FDA approved) that promise to raise HDL cholesterol levels. An Associated Press article about the drug stated that the only agent currently on the market that will raise HDL is niacin – also known as vitamin B-3.
That’s not true, of course. Policosanol has also been shown to raise HDL and lower LDL. But to give niacin its due, I’ll turn things over to Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. In a Health e- Tips e-letter sent out last July, a reader posed this question: “I’m confused. Can you tell me how inositol hexaniacinate and inositol hexanicotinate compare with nicotinic acid and niacinamide? What’s the difference?”
Dr. Wright’s reply: “The only thing that separates inositol hexaniacinate from inositol hexanicotinate is the Atlantic Ocean. ‘Nicotinamide,’ ‘nicotinic acid,’ and ‘hexanicotinate’ are the British terms for vitamin B3. The American terms are ‘niacinamide,’ ‘niacin,’ and ‘hexaniacinate.’
“Niacin and inositol hexaniacinate both lower serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and reduce the risk of heart attack. And both can raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
“Niacinamide doesn’t share these actions, but it is effective against degenerative arthritis, anxiety, and type 1 diabetes.
“I prefer inositol hexaniacinate over ‘regular’ niacin since it has less potential for adverse effects like flushing and rash.”
This is just a small sample of the excellent nutrition information contained in every Health e-Tips e-letter. If you’d like to start receiving your own free copy, visit: http://www.wrightnewsletter.com/healthetips.html. To browse through other Health e-Tips, or find information about Dr. Wright’s Nutrition and Healing Newsletter, visit: http://www.wrightnewsletter.com
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
