High Niacin Levels , Linked to Heart Disease, Research Suggests.<br />The new report was published in <br />'Nature Medicine' on Feb. 19, NBC News reports.<br />According to the new research, high levels of the essential B vitamin may increase heart disease risk by causing inflammation and harming blood vessels.<br />Niacin is found in foods such as nuts, fortified cereals, breads, meat and fish, NBC News reports. .<br />Niacin is found in foods such as nuts, fortified cereals, breads, meat and fish, NBC News reports. .<br />Niacin is found in foods such as nuts, fortified cereals, breads, meat and fish, NBC News reports. .<br />According to the Mayo Clinic, 16 milligrams <br />of niacin per day are recommended for men, <br />and non-pregnant women are advised <br />to consume 14 milligrams per day.<br />But Dr. Stanley Hazen, the study's senior author, <br />says that 1 in 4 Americans consumes higher <br />levels than the recommended daily allowance.<br />The average person should avoid niacin <br />supplements now that we have reason <br />to believe that taking too much niacin <br />can potentially lead to an increased risk <br />of developing cardiovascular disease, Dr. Stanley Hazen, the study's senior author, via NBC News.<br />However, researchers have yet to determine what exactly constitutes "too much niacin.".<br />In the 1940s, scientists found that low niacin levels could lead to a condition known as pellagra, which is potentially fatal.<br />Since then, many foods have been <br />fortified with niacin, causing Americans to <br />get plenty of the B vitamin in their diets. .<br />In the past, doctors also prescribed <br />niacin to improve cholesterol levels before statins were developed, NBC News reports. .<br />I don’t think anyone would have <br />predicted that niacin would have <br />been pro-inflammatory. , Dr. Amanda Doran, an assistant professor of medicine <br />in the division of cardiovascular medicine at the <br />Vanderbilt University Medical Center, via NBC News.<br />This is a powerful study <br />because it combines a variety <br />of techniques: clinical data, <br />genetic data and mouse data, Dr. Amanda Doran, an assistant professor of medicine <br />in the division of cardiovascular medicine at the <br />Vanderbilt University Medical Center, via NBC News
