For the sake of convenience: Commercial sources of prebiotic fibers

3. May 2015 William Davis (0)
Our efforts to obtain prebiotic fibers/resistant starches, as discussed in the Cureality Digestive Health Track, to cultivate healthy bowel flora means recreating the eating behavior of primitive humans who dug in the dirt with sticks and bone fragments for underground roots and tubers, behaviors you can still observe in extant hunter-gatherer groups, such as the Hadza and Yanomamo. But, because this practice is inconvenient for us modern folk accustomed to sleek grocery stores, because many of us live in climates where the ground is frozen much of the year, and because we lack the wisdom passed from generation to generation that helps identify which roots and tubers are safe to eat and which are not, we rely on modern equivalents of primitive sources. Thus, green, unripe bananas, raw potatoes and other such fiber sources in the Cureality lifestyle.

There is therefore no need to purchase prebiotic fibers outside of your daily effort at including an unripe green banana, say, or inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), or small servings of legumes as a means of cultivating healthy bowel flora. These are powerful strategies that change the number and species of bowel flora over time, thereby leading to beneficial health effects that include reduced blood sugar and blood pressure, reduction in triglycerides, reduced anxiety and improved sleep, and reduced colon cancer risk.

HOWEVER, convenience can be a struggle. Traveling by plane, for example, makes lugging around green bananas or raw potatoes inconvenient. Inulin and FOS already come as powders or capsules and they are among the options for a convenient, portable prebiotic fiber strategy. But there are others that can be purchased. This is a more costly way to get your prebiotic fibers and you do not need to purchase these products in order to succeed in your bowel flora management program. These products are therefore listed strictly as a strategy for convenience.

Most perspectives on the quality of human bowel flora composition suggest that diversity is an important feature, i.e., the greater the number of species, the better the health of the host. There may therefore be advantage in varying your prebiotic routine, e.g., green banana on Monday, inulin on Tuesday, PGX (below) on Wednesday, etc. Beyond providing convenience, these products may introduce an added level of diversity, as well.

Among the preparations available to us that can be used as prebiotic fibers:

PGX

While it is billed as a weight management and blood sugar-reducing product, the naturally occurring fiber--α-D-glucurono-α-D-manno-β-D-manno- β-D-gluco, α-L-gulurono-β-D mannurono, β-D-gluco-β- D-mannan--in PGX also exerts prebiotic effects (evidenced by increased fecal butyrate, the beneficial end-product of bacterial metabolism). PGX is available as capsules or granules. It also seems to exert prebiotic effects at lower doses than other prebiotic fibers. While I usually advise reaching 20 grams per day of fiber, PGX appears to exert substantial effects at a daily dose of half that quantity. As with all prebiotic fibers, it is best to build up slowly over weeks, e.g., start at 1.5 grams twice per day. It is also best taken in two or three divided doses. (Avoid the PGX bars, as they are too carb-rich for those of us trying to achieve ideal metaobolic health.)

Prebiotin

A combination of inulin and FOS available as powders and in portable Stick Pacs (2 gram and 4 gram packs). This preparation is quite costly, however, given the generally low cost of purchasing chicory inulin and FOS separately.

Acacia

Acacia fiber is another form of prebiotic fiber.  RenewLife and NOW are two reputable brands.

Isomalto-oligosaccharides

This fiber is used in Quest bars and in Paleo Protein Bars. With Quest bars, choose the flavors without sucralose, since it has been associated with undesirable changes in bowel flora.

There you go. It means that there are fewer and fewer reasons to not purposefully cultivate healthy bowel flora and obtain all the wonderful health benefits of doing so, from reduced blood pressure, to reduced triglycerides, to deeper sleep.

Disclaimer: I am not compensated in any way by discussing these products.

How Not To Have An Autoimmune Condition

20. April 2015 William Davis (0)

Autoimmune conditions are becoming increasingly common. Estimates vary, but it appears that at least 8-9% of the population in North America and Western Europe have one of these conditions, with The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association estimating that it’s even higher at 14% of the population.

The 200 or so autoimmune diseases that afflict modern people are conditions that involve an abnormal immune response directed against one or more organs of the body. If the misguided attack is against the thyroid gland, it can result in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. If it is directed against pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin, it can result in type 1 diabetes or latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA). If it involves tissue encasing joints (synovium) like the fingers or wrists, it can result in rheumatoid arthritis. It if involves the liver, it can result in autoimmune hepatitis, and so on. Nearly every organ of the body can be the target of such a misguided immune response.

While it requires a genetic predisposition towards autoimmunity that we have no control over (e.g., the HLA-B27 gene for ankylosing spondylitis), there are numerous environmental triggers of these diseases that we can do something about. Identifying and correcting these factors stacks the odds in your favor of reducing autoimmune inflammation, swelling, pain, organ dysfunction, and can even reverse an autoimmune condition altogether.

Among the most important factors to correct in order to minimize or reverse autoimmunity are:

Wheat and grain elimination

If you are reading this, you likely already know that the gliadin protein of wheat and related proteins in other grains (especially the secalin of rye, the hordein of barley, zein of corn, perhaps the avenin of oats) initiate the intestinal “leakiness” that begins the autoimmune process, an effect that occurs in over 90% of people who consume wheat and grains. The flood of foreign peptides/proteins, bacterial lipopolysaccharide, and grain proteins themselves cause immune responses to be launched against these foreign factors. If, for instance, an autoimmune response is triggered against wheat gliadin, the same antibodies can be aimed at the synapsin protein of the central nervous system/brain, resulting in dementia or cerebellar ataxia (destruction of the cerebellum resulting in incoordination and loss of bladder and bowel control). Wheat and grain elimination is by far the most important item on this list to reverse autoimmunity.

Correct vitamin D deficiency

It is clear that, across a spectrum of autoimmune diseases, vitamin D deficiency serves a permissive, not necessarily causative, role in allowing an autoimmune process to proceed. It is clear, for instance, that autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes in children, rheumatoid arthritis, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are more common in those with low vitamin D status, much less common in those with higher vitamin D levels. For this and other reasons, I aim to achieve a blood level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D level of 60-70 ng/ml, a level that usually requires around 4000-8000 units per day of D3 (cholecalciferol) in gelcap or liquid form (never tablet due to poor or erratic absorption). In view of the serious nature of autoimmune diseases, it is well worth tracking occasional blood levels.

Supplement omega-3 fatty acids

While omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, from fish oil have proven only modestly helpful by themselves, when cast onto the background of wheat/grain elimination and vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids compound anti-inflammatory benefits, such as those exerted via cyclooxygenase-2. This requires a daily EPA + DHA dose of around 3600 mg per day, divided in two. Don’t confuse EPA and DHA omega-3s with linolenic acid, another form of omega-3 obtained from meats, flaxseed, chia, and walnuts that does not not yield the same benefits. Nor can you use krill oil with its relatively trivial content of omega-3s.

Eliminate dairy

This is true in North America and most of Western Europe, less true in New Zealand and Australia. Autoimmunity can be triggered by the casein beta A1 form of casein widely expressed in dairy products, but not by casein beta A2 and other forms. Because it is so prevalent in North America and Western Europe, the most confident way to avoid this immunogenic form of casein is to avoid dairy altogether. You might be able to consume cheese, given the fermentation process that alters proteins and sugar, but that has not been fully explored.

Cultivate healthy bowel flora

People with autoimmune conditions have massively screwed up bowel flora with reduced species diversity and dominance of unhealthy species. We restore a healthier anti-inflammatory panel of bacterial species by “seeding” the colon with high-potency probiotics, then nourishing them with prebiotic fibers/resistant starches, a collection of strategies summarized in the Cureality Digestive Health discussions. People sometimes view bowel flora management as optional, just “fluff”–it is anything but. Properly managing bowel flora can be a make-it-or-break-it advantage; don’t neglect it.

There you go: a basic list to get started on if your interest is to begin a process of unraveling the processes of autoimmunity. In some conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica, full recovery is possible. In other conditions, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and the pancreatic beta cell destruction leading to type 1 diabetes, reversing the autoimmune inflammation does not restore organ function: hypothyroidism results after thyroiditis quiets down and type 1 diabetes and need for insulin persists after pancreatic beta cell damage. But note that the most powerful risk factor for an autoimmune disease is another autoimmune disease–this is why so many people have more than one autoimmune condition. People with Hashimoto’s, for instance, can develop rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis. So the above menu is still worth following even if you cannot hope for full organ recovery

Five Powerful Ways to Reduce Blood Sugar

4. April 2015 William Davis (0)
Left to conventional advice on diet and you will, more than likely, succumb to type 2 diabetes sooner or later. Follow your doctor’s advice to cut fat and eat more “healthy whole grains” and oral diabetes medication and insulin are almost certainly in your future. Despite this, had this scenario played out, you would be accused of laziness and gluttony, a weak specimen of human being who just gave into excess.

If you turn elsewhere for advice, however, and ignore the awful advice from “official” sources with cozy relationships with Big Pharma, you can reduce blood sugars sufficient to never become diabetic or to reverse an established diagnosis, and you can create a powerful collection of strategies that handily trump the worthless advice being passed off by the USDA, American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, or the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Among the most powerful and effective strategies to reduce blood sugar:

1) Eat no wheat nor grains

Recall that amylopectin A, the complex carbohydrate of grains, is highly digestible, unlike most of the other components of the seeds of grasses AKA “grains,” subject to digestion by the enzyme, amylase, in saliva and stomach. This explains why, ounce for ounce, grains raise blood sugar higher than table sugar. Eat no grains = remove the exceptional glycemic potential of amylopectin A.

2) Add no sugars, avoid high-fructose corn syrup

This should be pretty obvious, but note that the majority of processed foods contain sweeteners such as sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup, tailored to please the increased desire for sweetness among grain-consuming people. While fructose does not raise blood sugar acutely, it does so in delayed fashion, along with triggering other metabolic distortions such as increased triglycerides and fatty liver.

3) Vitamin D

Because vitamin D restores the body’s normal responsiveness to insulin, getting vitamin D right helps reduce blood sugar naturally while providing a range of other health benefits.

4) Restore bowel flora

As cultivation of several Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria species in bowel flora yields fatty acids that restore insulin responsiveness, this leads to reductions in blood sugar over time. Minus the bowel flora-disrupting effects of grains and sugars, a purposeful program of bowel flora restoration is required (discussed at length in the Cureality Digestive Health section.)

5) Exercise

Blood sugar is reduced during and immediately following exercise, with the effect continuing for many hours afterwards, even into the next day.

Note that, aside from exercise, none of these powerful strategies are advocated by the American Diabetes Association or any other “official” agency purporting to provide dietary advice. As is happening more and more often as the tide of health information rises and is accessible to all, the best advice on health does not come from such agencies nor from your doctor but from your efforts to better understand the truths in health. This is our core mission in Cureality. A nice side benefit: information from Cureality is not accompanied by advertisements from Merck, Pfizer, Kelloggs, Kraft, or Cadbury Schweppes.

Cureality App Review: Breathe Sync

7. March 2015 William Davis (0)


Biofeedback is a wonderful, natural way to gain control over multiple physiological phenomena, a means of tapping into your body’s internal resources. You can, for instance, use biofeedback to reduce anxiety, heart rate, and blood pressure, and achieve a sense of well-being that does not involve drugs, side-effects, or even much cost.

Biofeedback simply means that you are tracking some observable physiologic phenomenon—heart rate, skin temperature, blood pressure—and trying to consciously access control over it. One very successful method is that of bringing the beat-to-beat variation in heart rate into synchrony with the respiratory cycle. In day-to-day life, the heart beat is usually completely out of sync with respiration. Bring it into synchrony and interesting things happen: you experience a feeling of peace and calm, while many healthy phenomena develop.

A company called HeartMath has applied this principle through their personal computer-driven device that plugs into the USB port of your computer and monitors your heart rate with a device clipped on your earlobe. You then regulate breathing and follow the instructions provided and feedback is obtained on whether you are achieving synchrony, or what they call “coherence.” As the user becomes more effective in achieving coherence over time, positive physiological and emotional effects develop. HeartMath has been shown, for instance, to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure, morning cortisol levels (a stress hormone), and helps people deal with chronic pain. Downside of the HeartMath process: a $249 price tag for the earlobe-USB device.

But this is the age of emerging smartphone apps, including those applied to health. Smartphone apps are perfect for health monitoring. They are especially changing how we engage in biofeedback. An app called Breathe Sync is available that tracks heart rate using the camera’s flash on the phone. By tracking heart rate and providing visual instruction on breathing pattern, the program generates a Wellness Quotient, WQ, similar to HeartMath’s coherence scoring system. Difference: Breathe Sync is portable and a heck of a lot less costly. I paid $9.99, more than I’ve paid for any other mainstream smartphone application, but a bargain compared to the HeartMath device cost.

One glitch is that you need to not be running any other programs in the background, such as your GPS, else you will have pauses in the Breathe Sync program, negating the value of your WQ. Beyond this, the app functions reliably and can help you achieve the health goals of biofeedback with so much less hassle and greater effectiveness than the older methods.

If you are looking for a biofeedback system that provides advantage in gaining control over metabolic health, while also providing a wonderful method of relaxation, Breathe Sync, I believe, is the go-to app right now.

Amber’s Top 35 Health and Fitness Tips

7. November 2014 Amber B (0)
This year I joined the 35 club!  And in honor of being fabulous and 35, I want to share 35 health and fitness tips with you! 

1.  Foam rolling is for everyone and should be done daily. 
2.  Cold showers are the best way to wake up and burn more body fat. 
3.  Stop locking your knees.  This will lead to lower back pain. 
4.  Avoid eating gluten at all costs. 
5.  Breath deep so that you can feel the sides or your lower back expand. 
6.  Swing a kettlebell for a stronger and great looking backside. 
7.  Fat is where it’s at!  Enjoy butter, ghee, coconut oil, palm oil, duck fat and many other fabulous saturated fats. 
8.  Don’t let your grip strength fade with age.  Farmer carries, kettlebells and hanging from a bar will help with that. 
9.  Runners, keep your long runs slow and easy and keep your interval runs hard.  Don’t fall in the chronic cardio range. 
10.  Drink high quality spring or reverse osmosis water. 
11.  Use high quality sea salt season food and as a mineral supplement. 
12.  Work your squat so that your butt can get down to the ground.  Can you sit in this position? How long?
13.  Lift heavy weights!  We were made for manual work,.   Simulate heavy labor in the weight room. 
14.  Meditate daily.  If you don’t go within, you will go with out.  We need quiet restorative time to balance the stress in our life. 
15.  Stand up and move for 10 minutes for every hour your sit at your computer. 
16. Eat a variety of whole, real foods. 
17.  Sleep 7 to 9 hours every night. 
18.  Pull ups are my favorite exercise.  Get a home pull up bar to practice. 
19.  Get out and spend a few minutes in nature.  Appreciate the world around you while taking in fresh air and natural beauty. 
20.  We all need to pull more in our workouts.  Add more pulling movements horizontally and vertically. 
21. Surround yourself with health minded people. 
22. Keep your room dark for deep sound sleep.  A sleep mask is great for that! 
23. Use chemical free cosmetics.  Your skin is the largest organ of your body and all chemicals will absorb into your blood stream. 
24. Unilateral movements will help improve symmetrical strength. 
25. Become more playful.  We take life too seriously, becoming stress and overwhelmed.  How can you play, smile and laugh more often?
26.  Choose foods that have one ingredient.  Keep your diet simple and clean. 
27.  Keep your joints mobile as you age.  Do exercises that take joints through a full range of motion. 
28. Go to sleep no later than 10:30pm.  This allows your body and brain to repair through the night. 
29. Take care of your health and needs before others.  This allows you to be the best spouse, parent, coworker, and person on the planet. 
30.  Always start your daily with a high fat, high protein meal.  This will encourage less sugar cravings later in the day. 
31. Approach the day with positive thinking!  Stinkin’ thinkin’ only leads to more stress and frustration. 
32. You are never “too old” to do something.  Stay young at heart and keep fitness a priority as the years go by. 
33. Dream big and go for it. 
34.  Lift weights 2 to 4 times every week.  Strong is the new sexy. 
35.  Love.  Love yourself unconditionally.  Love your life and live it to the fullest.  Love others compassionately. 

Amber B.
Cureality Exercise and Fitness Coach

To Change, You Need to Get Uncomfortable

25. September 2014 Amber B (0)
Sitting on the couch is comfortable.  Going through the drive thru to pick up dinner is comfortable.  But when you notice that you’re out-of-shape, tired, sick and your clothes no longer fit, you realize that what makes you comfortable is not in align with what would make you happy.   

You want to see something different when you look in the mirror.  You want to fit into a certain size of jeans or just experience your day with more energy and excitement.  The current condition of your life causes you pain, be it physical, mental or emotional.  To escape the pain you are feeling, you know that you need to make changes to your habits that keep you stuck in your current state.  But why is it so hard to make the changes you know that will help you achieve what you want?  

I want to lose weight but….

I want a six pack but…

I want more energy but….

The statement that follows the “but” is often a situation or habit you are comfortable with.  You want to lose weight but don’t have time to cook healthy meals.  So it’s much more comfortable to go through the drive thru instead of trying some new recipes.   New habits often require a learning curve and a bit of extra time in the beginning.  It also takes courage and energy to establish new routines or seek out help.  

Setting out to achieve your goals requires change.  Making changes to establish new habits that support your goals and dreams can be uncomfortable.  Life, as you know it, will be different.  Knowing that fact can be scary, but so can staying in your current condition.  So I’m asking you to take a risk and get uncomfortable so that you can achieve your goals.  

Realize that it takes 21 days to develop a new habit.  I believe it takes triple that amount of time to really make a new habit stick for the long haul.  So for 21 days, you’ll experience some discomfort while you make changes to your old routine and habits.  Depending on what you are changing, discomfort could mean feeling tired, moody, or even withdrawal symptoms.  However, the longer you stick to your new habits the less uncomfortable you start to feel.  The first week is always the worst, but then it gets easier.

Making it through the uncomfortable times requires staying focused on your goals and not caving to your immediate feelings or desires.  I encourage clients to focus on why their goals important to them.  This reason or burning desire to change will help when old habits, cravings, or situations call you back to your old ways.
Use a tracking and a reward system to stay on track.  Grab a calendar, journal or index card to check off or note your daily successes.  Shoot for consistency and not perfection when trying to make changes.  I encourage my clients to use the 90/10 principle of change and apply that to their goal tracking system.  New clothes, a massage, or a day me-retreat are just a few examples of rewards you can use to sticking to your tracking system.  Pick something that really gets you excited.  

Getting support system in place can help you feel more comfortable with being uncomfortable.  Hiring a coach, joining an online support group, or recruiting family and friends can be very helpful when making big changes.  With a support system in place you are not alone in your discomfort.  You’re network is there for you to reach out for help, knowledge, accountability or camaraderie when you feel frustrated and isolated.  

I’ve helped hundreds of people change their bodies, health and lives of the eleven years I’ve worked as a trainer and coach.  I know it’s hard, but I also know that if they can do it, so can you.  You just need to step outside of your comfort zone and take a risk. Don’t let fear create uncomfortable feelings that keep you stuck in your old ways.  Take that first step and enjoy the journey of reaching your goals and dreams.  

Amber Budahn, B.S., CSCS, ACE PT, USATF 1, CHEK HLC 1, REIKI 1
Cureality Exercise Specialist

The 3 Best Grain Free Food Swaps to Boost Fat Burning

25. September 2014 Lisa G (0)
You can join others enjoying substantial improvements in their health, energy and pant size by making a few key, delicious substitutions to your eating habits.  This is possible with the Cureality nutrition approach, which rejects the idea that grains should form the cornerstone of the human diet.  

Grain products, which are seeds of grasses, are incompatible with human digestion.  Contrary to what we have been told for years, eating healthy whole grain is not the answer to whittle away our waists.  Consumption of all grain-based carbohydrates results in increased production of the fat storage hormone insulin.  Increased insulin levels create the perfect recipe for weight gain. By swapping out high carbohydrate grain foods that cause spikes in insulin with much lower carbohydrate foods, insulin release is subdued and allows the body to release fat.

1. Swap wheat-based flour with almond flour/meal

  • One of the most dubious grain offenders is modern wheat. Replace wheat flour with naturally wheat-free, lower carbohydrate almond flour.  
  • Almond flour contains a mere 12 net carbs per cup (carbohydrate minus the fiber) with 50% more filling protein than all-purpose flour.
  • Almond flour and almond meal also offer vitamin E, an important antioxidant to support immune function.

2. Swap potatoes and rice for cauliflower

  • Replace high carb potatoes and pasta with vitamin C packed cauliflower, which has an inconsequential 3 carbs per cup.  
  • Try this food swap: blend raw cauliflower in food processor to make “rice”. (A hand held grater can also be used).  Sautee the “riced” cauliflower in olive or coconut oil for 5 minutes with seasoning to taste.
  • Another food swap: enjoy mashed cauliflower in place of potatoes.  Cook cauliflower. Place in food processor with ½ a stick organic, grass-fed butter, ½ a package full-fat cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add optional minced garlic, chives or other herbs such as rosemary.
3. Swap pasta for shirataki noodles and zucchini

  • Swap out carb-rich white pasta containing 43 carbs per cup with Shirataki noodles that contain a few carbs per package. Shirataki noodles are made from konjac or yam root and are found in refrigerated section of supermarkets.
  • Another swap: zucchini contains about 4 carbs per cup. Make your own grain free, low-carb noodles from zucchini using a julienne peeler, mandolin or one of the various noodle tools on the market.  

Lisa Grudzielanek, MS,RDN,CD,CDE
Cureality Nutrition Specialist

Not so fast. Don’t make this mistake when going gluten free!

25. September 2014 Lisa G (0)
Beginning last month, the Food and Drug Administration began implementing its definition of “gluten-free” on packaged food labels.  The FDA determined that packaged food labeled gluten free (or similar claims such as "free of gluten") cannot contain more than 20 parts per million of gluten.

It has been years in the making for the FDA to define what “gluten free” means and hold food manufactures accountable, with respect to food labeling.  However, the story does not end there.

Yes, finding gluten-free food, that is now properly labeled, has become easier. So much so the market for gluten-free foods tops $6 billion last year.   However, finding truly healthy, commercially prepared, grain-free foods is still challenging.

A very common mistake made when jumping into the gluten-free lifestyle is piling everything labeled gluten-free in the shopping cart.  We don’t want to replace a problem: wheat, with another problem: gluten free products.

Typically gluten free products are made with rice flour (and brown rice flour), tapioca starch, cornstarch, and potato flour.  Of the few foods that raise blood sugar higher than wheat, these dried, powdered starches top the list.

 They provide a large surface area for digestion, thereby leading to sky-high blood sugar and all the consequences such as diabetes, hypertension, cataracts, arthritis, and heart disease. These products should be consumed very rarely consumed, if at all.  As Dr. Davis has stated, “100% gluten-free usually means 100% awful!”

There is an ugly side to the gluten-free boom taking place.  The Cureality approach to wellness recommends selecting gluten-free products wisely.  Do not making this misguided mistake and instead aim for elimination of ALL grains, as all seeds of grasses are related to wheat and therefore overlap in many effects.

Lisa Grudzielanek MS, RDN, CD, CDE
Cureality Health & Nutrition Coach

3 Foods to Add to Your Next Grocery List

25. September 2014 Lisa G (0)
Looking for some new foods to add to your diet? Look no further. Reach for these three mealtime superstars to encourage a leaner, healthier body.

Microgreens

Microgreens are simply the shoots of salad greens and herbs that are harvested just after the first leaves have developed, or in about 2 weeks.  Microgreen are not sprouts. Sprouts are germinated, in other words, sprouted seeds produced entirely in water. Microgreens are grown in soil, thereby absorbing the nutrients from the soil.

The nutritional profile of each microgreen depends greatly on the type of microgreen you are eating. Researchers found red cabbage microgreens had 40 times more vitamin E and six times more vitamin C than mature red cabbage. Cilantro microgreens had three times more beta-carotene than mature cilantro.

A few popular varieties of microgreens are arugula, kale, radish, pea, and watercress. Flavor can vary from mild to a more intense or spicy mix depending on the microgreens.  They can be added to salads, soup, omelets, stir fry and in place of lettuce.  

Cacao Powder

Cocoa and cacao are close enough in flavor not to make any difference. However, raw cacao powder has 3.6 times the antioxidant activity of roasted cocoa powder.  In short, raw cacao powder is definitely the healthiest, most beneficial of the powders, followed by 100% unsweetened cocoa.

Cacao has more antioxidant flavonoids than blueberries, red wine and black and green teas.  Cacao is one of the highest sources of magnesium, a great source of iron and vitamin C, as well as a good source of fiber for healthy bowel function.
Add cacao powder to milk for chocolate milk or real hot chocolate.  Consider adding to coffee for a little mocha magic or sprinkle on berries and yogurt.




Shallots

Shallots have a better nutrition profile than onions. On a weight per weight basis, they have more anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins than onions. Shallots have a milder, less pungent taste than onions, so people who do not care for onions may enjoy shallots.

Like onions, sulfur compounds in shallot are necessary for liver detoxification pathways.  The sulfur compound, allicin has been shown to be beneficial in reducing cholesterol.  Allicin is also noted to have anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal activities.

Diced then up and add to salads, on top of a bun less hamburger, soups, stews, or sauces.  Toss in an omelet or sauté to enhance a piece of chicken or steak, really the possibilities are endless.  

Lisa Grudzielanek,MS,RDN,CD,CDE
Cureality Nutrition & Health Coach

3 Band Exercises for Great Glutes

15. August 2014 Amber B (0)
Bands and buns are a great combination.  (When I talk about glutes or a butt, I use the word buns)  When it comes to sculpting better buns, grab a band.   Bands are great for home workouts, at gym or when you travel.  Check out these 3 amazing exercises that will have your buns burning. 

Band Step Out

Grab a band and place it under the arch of each foot.  Then cross the band and rest your hands in your hip sockets.  The exercise starts with your feet hip width apart and weight in the heels.  Slightly bend the knees and step your right foot out to the side.  Step back in so that your foot is back in the starting position.  With each step, make sure your toes point straight ahead.  The tighter you pull the band, the more resistance you will have.    You will feel this exercise on the outside of your hips. 

Start with one set of 15 repetitions with each foot.  Work on increasing to 25 repetitions on each side and doing two to three sets.



Band Kick Back

This exercise is performed in the quadruped position with your knees under hips and hands under your shoulders.    Take the loop end of the band and put it around your right foot and place the two handles or ends of the band under your hands.  Without moving your body, kick your right leg straight back.  Return to the starting quadruped position.  Adjust the tension of the band to increase or decrease the difficulty of this exercise. 

Start with one set of 10 repetitions with each foot.  Work on increasing to 20 repetitions on each side and doing two to three sets. 



Band Resisted Hip Bridge

Start lying on your back with feet hip distance apart and knees bent at about a 45-degree angle.  Adjust your hips to a neutral position to alleviate any arching in your lower back.  Place the band across your hipbones.  Hold the band down with hands along the sides of your body.  Contract your abs and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips up off the ground.  Stop when your thighs, hips and stomach are in a straight line.  Lower you hips back down to the ground. 

Start with one set of 15 repetitions.  Work on increasing to 25 repetitions and doing two to three.  Another variation of this exercise is to hold the hip bridge position.  Start with a 30 second hold and work up to holding for 60 seconds.

The dreaded niacin "flush"

The dreaded niacin "flush"

18. May 2007 William Davis (55)
As most anybody who takes niacin knows, it can cause a hot flushed feeling over the chest and face that is generally harmless, though quite annoying.

Many doctors are frightened by this response and will warn patients off from niacin. Some people who take niacin are so annoyed that they find it intolerable.

However, a very simple maneuver can relieve the hot flush in over 90% of instances: Drink water. Let me explain.

I usually instruct patients to take niacin at dinnertime. That way, food slows absorption modestly. I also ask them to drink water with dinner. If the flush occurs after dinner (usually 30-60 minutes later), then drinking two 8-12 oz glasses of water immediately breaks the flush within 3 minutes in the great majority of people. It's quite dramatic.

Doing this around dinner (lunch works just as well) allows sufficient time to clear the excess water from your body before bedtime and spare you the aggravation of disrupted sleep to urinate. Drinking plenty of water works most of the time. Only an occasional person will need to take a 325 mg uncoated aspirin to more fully break the flush. I generally suggest that patients keep the uncoated aspirin in reserve if the water doesn't provide relief within a few minutes.

Thankfully, the intensity of the niacin flush lessens, often disappears, with chronic use.

Why do some people develop the flush and other don't? It is believed that some people metabolize niacin more rapidly to a compound called nicotinuric acid, a niacin metabolite that causes dilation (relaxation) of skin capillaries--thus the flush. The rapidity of converting niacin to nicotinuric acid is determined genetically.

An occasional person really struggles with niacin to the point of intolerance. However, on the positive side, these people may also be "hyper-responders" to niacin, i.e., they show exagerated benefits in raising HDL, reducing small LDL, etc., from small doses such as 250 mg per day.

If you experience the hot flush of niacin, think water to put out the fire.
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Comments (55) -

  • Anne

    5/18/2007 3:17:00 AM |

    I had a severe reaction to my first dose of niacin - wish I could remember what dose was prescribed. I not only had a flush, but I itched all over and my face and mouth swelled up. Was that an allergy or can the niacin flush get that bad.

  • Dr. Davis

    5/18/2007 11:29:00 AM |

    Hi,Anne--
    Your reaction is a rare variety that I've seen only a handful of times. There's no such thing as allergy to niacin itself, though someone rarely can be allergic to another component in the capsule. It is possible to take niacin after such a reaction, but you need to work with your doctor. I've re-introduced niacin after such reactions at very small doses of, say, 50 mg (immediate-release) and built up very slowly over months, even years. This has worked out well.

  • Anne

    5/19/2007 10:08:00 PM |

    Thank you for your answer. The niacin I was prescribed was Niaspan. I can ask my cardiologist if there is a gentler brand and a lower dose.

  • Kathy and Wes

    7/26/2007 10:42:00 PM |

    My reaction to 500mg of niaspan was burning from head to foot 2 1/2 hours after taking it. In addition, my heart was beating so fast I couldn't believe it.  If felt like I was being burned with a curling iron all over my body.  The only thing I could do to relieve it was to splash cold water all over me.  My Dr. wants me to try it again. taking a baby aspirin an hour before hand.   I only had this twice out of four times.  But I am very afraid to try it.  It lasts almost an hour.

  • Kathy and Wes

    7/26/2007 10:48:00 PM |

    My Dr. put me on 500mg of Niaspan. I have taken it 4 times and twice had the worst reaction.  I became beat red from head to toe, and my skin felt like I was being burned with a curling iron.  The only relief I could get was to splash water on my skin.  This lasted almost an hour.  My heart was also pounding at an excelerated pace.  My physician would like me to try it one more time with a baby aspirin, which I did once.  Are you sure that it is safe with a reaction like that?

    Thanks

    Kathy

  • Dr. Davis

    7/27/2007 12:05:00 AM |

    Plenty of water--meaning 16-24 oz, if okay with your doctor--with your niacin can be very helpful in the beginning. In my experience, people who live with chronic dehydration (there's lots) struggle the most with niacin.

  • Dr. Davis

    7/27/2007 12:07:00 AM |

    Kathy--

    I can NEVER offer medical advice online.

    I can only tell you that I've had many people navigate through these feelings just by paying attention to hydration. Only an occasional person is truly unable to tolerate it.

    Another option I use in my patients is to induce "tolerance" by accepting a small dose, e.g., 250 mg SloNiacin (Upsher Smith) for several months, and increase it very slowly. But you need to discuss this with your doctor.

  • Doris

    7/28/2008 3:50:00 PM |

    I have taken Niacin for over two years. By brother-in-law was in the emergency room with flushing. The doctor had given him Niacin and told him to take a big dose daily. I can't remember if it was 2000mg for sure, but I think it was. I began at 100 mg and on the fifth day went to 200 mg. After taking that for 4 days I upped it to 300 mg. You get the pattern. I eventually made it up to 3000 mg. I buy it at the health food store in the mall because the Niacin in the discount stores tend to be nonflushing. I still flush occasionally, but not severely. I enjoy the flush as I know, or pretend,that is where the little niacin crumbles are eating up the cholesterol. Ha. Good luck. I found this suggestion online posted by a doctor.
    btw, I have itched a bunch for maybe 10 minutes while it flushed. My flushes are not too severe to continue. I did go off Niacin and am restarting because I looked online for Niacin overdoses and I had some of the symptoms. I decided I had got too high on dosing.

  • Jenn

    8/22/2008 1:31:00 PM |

    Why is Niaspan considered a better medication (at least by my doctor) than over the counter niacin, when it causes so much more flushing? On regular Niaspan, I don't flush every day, but if I do, it's anywhere from 2-18 hours after I take it. My doctor started me on the Niaspan-Crestor combination, and I can set my watch by it- 8 hours after I take it, every day.
    It's hard to get ready for work, when my face is blotchy and puffy and it hurts to apply makeup or comb my hair. Is flushing connected to diet and exercise? That is, is it supposed to make you flush if you eat the wrong things or don't exercise? I can't understand why my doctor would insist on my using Niaspan unless he's trying to use the flushing as a behavior modification program.

  • Anonymous

    9/1/2008 9:22:00 PM |

    I had an odd reaction to Niacin.  After eight wonderful days of taking it, I woke up one evening with a feeling that my body was on fire from head to toe.  Remembering that I needed to take an aspirin when flushing had occurred, I went to the kitchen where I had a series of seizures.  Upon eliminating everything in me, we called an ambulance.  
    The ER physician said it was a normal reaction and to continue to take the medication as prescribed.  I called my family doctor the next morning and he said I did have a reaction, which I stopped at that moment.  
    So, did I have an allergic reaction to the medication or just a seizure out of no where?

    Thanks,
    Tina

  • Murf from WA

    10/13/2008 8:20:00 PM |

    this doc is cool but u guys are all a bunch of little whiners! Niacin flush is such a rush I can literally feel all the toxins leaving my body and it feels GREAT. so quit complaining. this "flush" is doing you good. I assure you. The whole point is to flush. calling the ER because you are flushing may be a sign that you are a hypochondriac. maybe u should see a therapist?

  • Anonymous

    10/18/2008 2:56:00 PM |

    I agree w/"murph" but not so aggressively--the flush is good, good, good.  You are just freaking out a little but because it's odd and unusual to you, at first.  You should be flushing, it's increased blood flow that is getting all the nasty stuff out of your system and after the pinkness subsides I have been asked about what I'm doing with my skin because it's glowing!  I swear my skin looks clearer and more youthful.  I take it when I wake up, before breakfast & a shower and by the time I get to work my pink is gone, I'm more awake & my skin is glowing.  LOVE IT, DON'T FEAR IT.

  • PinkyTink

    10/30/2008 4:37:00 PM |

    I used to work in a pharmaceutical - packaging niacin. I would have my hands gloved, my arms covered, my hair in a net and wearing scrubs with a lab coat over them - just inhaling the niacin while working with it in raw form left me very sensitized to niacin reactions, which I attribute more to a feeling of a bad sunburn for about an hour. I too have had difficulty breathing and swelling of my esophagus during a reaction after higher doses or inhalation during the time I worked in the lab.
    I do not feel those who are speaking here are hypochondriacs and unless you've gone through something, you should really not judge others their symptoms - clearly the seizure person would argue you that their issue was not in her mind, do you not agree?
    I personally just find the reaction plain annoying, but have had to adhere to my doctor's warning of being wary of certain forms and doses of niacin due to my persistent reaction post-contact... those who do not understand this, i have no worries; nor am I whining or complaining - facts are facts - they are what they are - I make no apologies for stating them. Enjoy your day Smile

  • New to Niacin

    11/6/2008 2:45:00 AM |

    I agree with PinkyTink that the feeling most like a niacin flush is like a sunburn. Here's my account for those interested in case studies. I tried niacin (250mg) for the first time two days ago and thought "well, this feels nice; it's kind of hot and tingly as if I were blushing over my entire body." If some is good, more is better, right? Wrong! Yesterday I tried 500mg, encouraged by the fact that the recommended dose is 1-2 grams, and determined to fix my cholesterol problem all in 1 day. Nope. I spent about 3 hours with what felt like the worst sunburn that I've ever had (and being a native to SoCal, I've had a few). The burn started on my face, which was fine since it doesn't touch anything. It then included my face, shoulders and upper torso, which was moderately annoying but I was able to continue working. At the 1 hour mark or so, the fire had engulfed my lower torso and my buttocks as well so I kneeled in front of my computer (the prickling and burning too intense to put pressure on) to work. About a half an hour after that, my entire body was on fire and I just gave up and paced around until the intensity was bearable at about the 2.5 hour mark. It was incredibly itchy from the 1.5-2.5 hour mark, and I did rub and put an ice pack on excessively itchy spots occasionally, which relieved a bit of the discomfort. (I didn't know about the dehydration fix, so I'll try that next time.) I am planning on continuing with niacin, but with a slower increase to get my tolerance up, YMMV. To those who don't think the flush is a big deal or pretty debilitating, we may be describing different levels of intensity.

  • headlightsonthehighway

    11/28/2008 6:28:00 AM |

    I've taken half of a 100mg dose and it usually causes just a bit of flushing for around 15 minutes. But tonight I decided to take the whole 100mg and my face not only felt like it was on fire, it went to my hands, then arms, neck, shoulders, then my legs. My face (mostly my nose and upper lip) swelled up and I looked like I had fallen asleep at the beach for 8 hours. My heart raced and I was afraid that maybe I was having an allergic reaction, but after about an hour, it subsided. I will only take the smaller doses from now on. The flushing isn't so bad, but the swelling scared me a little.

  • Anonymous

    3/17/2009 12:03:00 PM |

    I had an intense, long-lasting niacin flush similar to the worst mentioned on here. I also have some menopausal flushing (even with estrogen), rosacea, and migraines. People with any of those conditions should be careful about niacin. I don't think it is all that rare to have a very bad reaction to it, because there are a lot of people who have one or more of these conditions.

  • Kaylin

    5/1/2009 4:25:00 AM |

    I took 500mg of niacin today and had quite a flush!  It was a very good thing that I happened to be at my parents' house with my three young children instead of driving, because after my skin felt sunburn-hot and turned beet-red all over, everything started looking very bright and I would have passed out if my mom hadn't led me to a bed to lay down.  I am so thankful she was there because she had to take care of my kids while I laid on the bed for a couple of hours recovering.  Almost passing out is not a hypochondriac invention, people!  I thank the good doctor for his information as I am encouraged to continue taking niacin, but at much smaller doses until my body gets used to it.

  • Michele

    5/18/2009 3:03:00 PM |

    Hi. I was doing fine on 500 mg of time-released niacin twice a day for five months with only minor flushes. Yesterday, about four hours after taking the first 500 mg pill, my face flushed beet red and got very hot. Ditto for my upper back. Can this be due to the niacin, even though I didn't just start taking it and the flush occurred hours after I took one?

  • Anonymous

    5/29/2009 11:09:11 PM |

    I just bought a new multivitamin at a health store and didn't notice it's huge level of niacin and I had a severe reaction like some of you described...full body sunburn, itching, rash, burning, and swelling of upper lip. My heart raced. I had to run home from work and take a Clonidine that I had for rosacea flushes and a benedryl (probably a bad idea, but I was desperate for relief) and am still waiting for some relief. I would beware of the flushes...those of us with rosacea know, with every flush comes inflammation and capillary damage which can age you and ruin your complexion.

  • Cookie

    6/12/2009 2:43:40 AM |

    Be careful advising people that there is no such thing as a niacin allergy. I cannot even tolerate 2 bites of food that has been supplemented with it, without my lips swelling and burning and itching starting. I first discovered my allergy to it by taking it as a supplement by itself. I broke out in hives and itched terribly for a few days. I didn't want to believe it, so I took it again a month later. Repeat, only worse this time. I can't even take it in any form, energy drinks, cereal bars or B100. I drink 2 quarts of water daily, and as much as I can more,
    when I realize I have eaten it in something by accident. This is the most serious itching and welts I have ever experienced. Hoping this helps someone else, Laura

  • Dr. William Davis

    6/12/2009 7:37:47 PM |

    Cookie--

    You do NOT have a niacin allergy. If you did, you would not be alive. Niacin is required for human life.

    What you have is an unusual idiosyncratic reaction. This does not mean that niacin is safe. It means that you are among the rare exceptions in tolerance to greater than pellagra-preventing doses of this B vitamin.

  • Cookie

    6/20/2009 3:57:39 PM |

    Hi Dr Davis,
    I do believe you may be right that the allergy is not just Niacin alone. I have found I have severe reactions to Niacinamide, but not Niacin alone. I looked up the difference on Wikipedia and they are very close in their chemical makeup and definition. But, they are not the same. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacinamide
    The bond is N,O,NH2

    Whereas, the bond for Niacin is N,O,OH.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacin
    I am no scientist, but my body certainly knows the difference.
    I hope this helps someone else.

  • Anonymous

    7/26/2009 3:54:52 AM |

    A doctor told me to take a baby asprin and 500 mg of niacin for one week then increase it to 1000 mg.  Presently, I am on my third day of 500 mg, here is my experience with flushing.  The first day was no problem.  I took one baby asprin before my meal and the 500 mg of niacin after my meal. I felt like I had a bad sunburn, but everything was fine. I noticed I didn't turn red where I was sitting, but everywhere my skin was exposed was red and hot.  Day 2 - I took 2 baby asprins before my meal and 500 mg of niacin after my meal. The flushing was almost unbearable.  Quite different from day 1.  I stripped my clothes off because I couldn't stand anything on my skin, stood in front of a fan, and iced my body.  Then I remembered about yesterday the parts of my body that were covered did not have a bad sensation, so I put clothes back on and jumped in bed with covers.  That did help relieve the symptoms.  Today is day 3.  I was scared because I didn't want a repeat of yesterday.  I thought about reducing my dose, but I had a plan.  I took 2 baby asprins before my meal and 2 motrin and 500 mg of niacin after my meal. I put on long pants and a long sleeve turtleneck sweater, and had an ice pack ready for my face and hands. The flushing episode went really well. I didn't even have a bad sunburn feeling.  It was just slight.  I don't know if this will work for anyone else or on day 4.

  • Anonymous

    7/27/2009 1:54:58 AM |

    Day 4 - I did the same thing as day 3.  I took 2 baby asprins before my meal and 2 motrin and 500 mg of niacin after my meal. I put on long pants and a long sleeve turtleneck sweater.  I had very slight hotness in my hands and face.  That is it.  I didn't need an ice pack today. I don't know why this method works, but if it will help anyone else I'm glad I posted my comments.

  • Laxana's World

    8/7/2009 3:28:40 AM |

    I had never been told about any reaction to Niacin...I took it before dinner and thought I was on fire...I found this site and drank water and took aspirin...it helped, but a cool water bath w/ baking soda and time finally made it better (it's been three hours and my skin is still extremely sensitive and somewhat flushed)...this has been one of the more unpleasant side effects to any medication.  I want to continue to lower my cholesterol, and already take red rice yeast and fish oil...I don't know if I can continue the niacin...no fun.

  • Phil5115

    8/22/2009 9:55:04 AM |

    I get the itching and burning as well, but the worst is a swelling sensation in my ears.  Not pleasant, but my triglycerides are improving.

  • Anonymous

    8/31/2009 6:56:12 PM |

    Being flushed is nothing.  I took an over the counter niacin tablet and besides turning as red as a lobster (no exaggeration--I was the color of a stop sign) my blood pressure fell fast and I landed on the floor unconscious.  There are those of us with a severe reaction to niacin supplements; it is not trivial and it is well worth thinking about.  Having such a precipitous drop in pressure is dangerous.

  • robert

    9/2/2009 11:08:39 PM |

    Hmmm...I take niacin like this - 0500- 500mg SloNiacin; 0900- 500 mg Miacin; 1200- 500 mg Niacin; 1600- 500mg Niacin: I rarely flush and when I do, it is extremely mild and does not even register. I don't know what all the fuss is about. Maybe I am taking it incorrectly?

  • Kris

    10/17/2009 12:59:22 AM |

    The only time I get a flush is when I have eaten garlic and then taken the niacin.  It is not pleasant and scared me very badly the first time.  I do not know why this happens.  Has anyone else had a similar experience?

  • Anonymous

    10/26/2009 7:26:52 PM |

    My experience was extreme. I have been taking the Niacin with Crestor for 3 days. When I sat down to lunch today I suddenly felt warm and took off my sweater. within 2 minutes I was burning in agony from head to foot and my body was shaking. I was itching, shaking and burning while my heart was racing. I was beyond beat red and it was far more painful than any sunburn I had ever experienced. I was in tears and scared witless. I am a 40 year old ex football player. I am not afraid of a little pain, this was torture! I felt like someone was burning every inch of skin from my body all at once and I could do nothing but lie down and scream. My Wife called the doctor who said it was normal and would pass. My triglycerides were about 108 but my doctor wants to see them at 80. For those who think it's just whining, I hope you never have to experience what I have just gone through! I wouldn't put that on anyone no matter how cluless they were. Until you've experienced a severe reaction, do not even try to minimize the pain. It is beyond belief. That was 4 hours ago and I am still itching.

  • Doug

    11/17/2009 7:24:50 PM |

    I have used Efudex and fluoruracil for treatment of Actinic Keratosis with the last treatment 2 years ago.  Since then, my arms barely show any signs of damage, but my legs still showed the damage which would be more prevalent when I got hot and sweaty.  I took my first 500 mg dose of Niacin 4 days ago at night.  I only felt a little flushing and tingling, and didn't think it was bad at all.  The next day, my legs looked as bad as they did after using the fluoruracil for 4 weeks.  I have not taken another dose of Niacin and my skin has not improved at all.  I think the Niacin is telling me that the Actinic Keratosis was not destroyed on my legs.  Do dermatoligists use Niacin to make AK's more pronounced so that they can find them?  Will my current condition get better?

  • John

    12/20/2009 2:18:28 AM |

    Hello, all! I have been taking Niacin daily for more than 30 years. I don't take it for cholesterol but rather as a treatment for Meniere's Disease but that's another story entirely. I believe because of the length of time that I've been a Niacin user that I have more experience with it than perhaps anyone, anywhere. I can go months without a flush and then I can experience a mild flush eveery day for a week. I flush much more with non-timed release forms than with timed release forms. Some times I experience a really bad flush. I mean REALLY bad. Not just the feeling that's akin to the worst sunburn that I've ever experienced but the feeling that the skin on my face weighs many pounds more than it possibly could and if it gets REALLY bad, my stomach tightens up as though it wants to screw itself into a tiny, tiny ball, nearly doubling me over. Twicee in my life I have come perilously close to passing out during a flush. Once while driving and the second just about an hour ago tonight. Tonight's was the worst that I have ever experinced by far. It got so bad that I actually feared that I was on the verge of dying. This flush lasted far longer than any before it. Usually they pass in 15-20 minutes for me but tonight's effects have drawn out for more than an hour. As I type this post, my hands are still shaking as I am "coming down" from the flush. The thing of it is though that I knew it was going to be bad tonight, just not this bad. You see, I usually take my Niacin in the form of a timed-release caplet (Slo Niacin) early in the morning and if I forget to take it early in the day, the likelihood of a bad flush increases the later that I take it. Yesterday I realized at 3PM that I hadn't taken my Niacin so, fearing the severee flush, I simply didn't take it at all. Today, I once again forgot to take it early and risked taking it at 4PM. The flush didn't hit me until 7 but when it did, it grew slowly and to a height I had never experienced. WOW!I'm just about back to normal after an hour and a quarter!!! I just read the advice about taking an aspirin and I will keep some on hand in case it gets this bad again. I also think I'll make a SERIOUS effort to remember to take it first thing in the morning from now on!

  • Bram

    1/26/2010 1:50:43 AM |

    Hi,

    I really had to post a comment too.
    After reading John's post I felt a lot better. I also had the worst flush ever today. Normally i take 1000 Mg Niacin twice a week, but last week I skipped my doses, just to give my body a little time for itself. Normally the flush starts after 1-1.5 hours and than slowly my body starts to feel a little bit hot from top down, not too bad, kind of nice even. Today after 20 minutes or so, in one second my head became SUPERHOT, my lips and my facial muscles felled paralized, my heart started racing (maybe because of the new strange experience) I looked in the mirror and my complete face was hanging down. I've never seen this before so my heart started beating faster and I started hyperventilating. At that moment I really thought it was the end of my life. It was really bad. But now I know I'm not alone so we'll see what happens next time;
    Maybe a smaller dose, this was really scary.

  • Anonymous

    1/30/2010 9:07:17 PM |

    I started taking niacin yesterday (250 pil per day), no flush, but today I experienced it.  Ears got hot, then face then upper body.  Slight itching.  it lasted about 30 minutes.  Nice.
    I wonder if it is ok to have a glass of wine while taking niacin pills?
    thanks

  • Anonymous

    2/17/2010 3:48:50 AM |

    Anonymous don't drink wine.  I had the swelling of the lips, face, I looked like my face was about to explode, it was tightened and my face looked like a 20 year olds skin, I itched for 2 hours scratching my arms raw.  I laugh about it now when I read your post, but I was scared.

  • Barbara

    3/28/2010 10:05:40 AM |

    So my cardiolgist told me to take 1 325 mg aspirin 30 minues before bed & 2 Niaspan at bed time.  twice now I have been up for 3-5 hours with the flushing reaction from hell. The thing is I get hives when I get hot. The itching from the flush coupled with the itching from the hives caused by the heat is unbearable. I burn from  head to toe & even went outside to cool off, in just a tank top, in Colorado, with a foot of snow on  the ground. Still burning. The water does seem to be helping. From now on I'll eat at bedtime & dring 24 oz of water to help. I have to work 7 hours today with no sleep.  This stinks.

  • Anonymous

    7/4/2010 10:40:02 PM |

    Hey, I have no problem with the niacin flush (actually feels good -- and I feel great afterwards). However, I stupidly tried the non-flush niacin (because the pharmacist recommended it) which also contained inositol... I had an allergic reaction for the first time in my life (lasted six hours). Had to go to the hospital. Never touching no-flush or inositol supplements again. Real niacin only (you have to ask for it over the counter here).

  • Anonymous

    7/4/2010 10:47:47 PM |

    To continue previous post: I would avoid Niaspan or extended-release niacin or inositol if you have the allergic reactions as posted above (unbearable hives, itching and heat). Real niacin effects lasts about a half an hour and feel good -- and if you don't like that feeling just use an aspirin half an hour before taking it. The actual allergic reaction I experienced with inositol or "no-flush" niacin (as others above obviously have) is hell. Besides, scientifically, only real niacin works for cholesterol or depression (no-flush and time-release are an upselling marketing scam). There is a HUGE difference between the allergic reaction (to inositol, no-flush, and time release) and the normal real niacin flush.

  • Anonymous

    7/4/2010 10:56:53 PM |

    Addendum to previous two posts: the allergic reaction I had started a few hours after I too the no-flush/inositol. The redness and hives covered my entire upper torso, the unbearable itching appearing in random places. The hives and itching became so bad I jumped in a cool shower for over 2.5 HOURS because I was worried that just scratching myself would leave scars. I finally went to the hospital and was given benadryl. Took another hour to go away. Avoid no-flush or inositol or time-release if you have the allergic reactions.

  • Anonymous

    7/20/2010 9:32:53 PM |

    I was taking a rather small dose, a 100mg mega B vitamin. I got the flushing red response, but then my breathing got rather weak and I had to lie down. I tried another pill a week later and exactly the same thing happened. I got really light headed and was forced to lie down.

    Allergy? I see you guys trying 1000mg... how can I react so strongly to 100?

  • Newton Kinglsley IV

    9/29/2010 3:39:50 PM |

    You're probably right about that water. I took 200 mg today with breakfast, a dose that usually doesn't cause me grief. But damn was I baked today. Felt like I was being burned alive and my skin filleted off with razor sharp steel wool dipped in acid.

    But I drank 16 oz of water and that sure seemed to help. Usually I drink a few glasses of water but today I didn't and I bet that's what did it.

    I also took some asa but there's no way that was absorbed quite so quickly. The worst of the flushing stopped in 5 minutes. It's still present, but tolerable.

  • Venkat

    10/1/2010 10:21:57 PM |

    I had been asked to have 500mg Niacin with 350mg asprin first once a day for 2 weeks then twice a day. I never felt much other than a stuffy nose which I didn't know was related but then one night I woke up feeling hot and uncomfortable. Drank water and had an asprin and slept. I stopped taking it after that. My doctor recommended I continue so I started today by having the slow release Niacin in the morning around 10am after breakfast. At 2:30pm while I was driving suddenly I felt hot in the face, hands, body and legs. I realized I was having the flush but didn't know how to control it hence I looked up online and I am glad I stumbled on to this blog. Can't believe that it is just a vitamin causing all this. Side effects seem to be worse than most drugs.

  • Anonymous

    10/22/2010 12:18:26 PM |

    Thanks folks...I have been taking Niaspam for a while now...6 months...working up to 1500 mg a day (taken at night with aspirin). What's funny is in general I tolerate it okay, with only minor flushing, but today I had an ATTACK like many of you describe that was so debilitating I felt like jumping out the window to get our of my own skin. Even getting the water into my system wasn't so easy because I was so uncomfortable. Between the water and aspirin, I'm back to the managable "light sunburn" itch level. I think 1500 mg may just be too large a dose for me and I may need to cut back to 1000 mg. Also, I do occassionally drink, and since I know the reaction between alcohol and niacin is bad, I don't take it on nights where I've had a couple. Anyway, it's some relief to know that the reaction I had today isn't that uncommon, miserable as it is. I appreciate the tips on dealing with this strange medication and will continue to follow posts here...

  • Anonymous

    10/28/2010 4:51:40 AM |

    Great article Doc, thanks. I just flushed now, felt like a bad sunburn, and your water trick helped!

    I have been on Niaspan for a while, usually avoiding the flush with some tips from my heart Dr. He recommended two things that help me: take at bedtime, so if the flushing happens I am probably asleep, and also take my daily aspiring about 30 minutes before the Niaspan, which he says helps avoid the flush.

    Problem is, I usually end up taking the aspirin at the same time as the Niaspan for convenience, and that might not give thye aspirin enough time to help. Tonight, I took the pills at bedtime as usual, but ended up staying up later.

    One time when first on Niaspan, my heart raced like crazy with the flush, like another writer had. Anyway, thanks for great info.

  • Lemia

    12/20/2010 10:12:47 PM |

    Dr. Davis,
    Po"tay"to, Po"tah"to, with regards to allergy or sensitivity.  Particulary with lay people, if it causes an anaphalactic reaction (or even Hives, for that matter), might as well call it an allergy.  People also naturally need iodine in their bodies, and while "technically" you would say I have an iodine "sensitivity", that does not (and did not) stop me (nor many of my patients in the Cath Lab) from having an allergic reaction to IV iodine (and forget about topical betadine!)  

    To argue with someone about whether it is called an allergy or not, may give a non-medical person the idea that a sensitivity to something naturally occurring is therefore nothing to worry about.  In my case, and many others, it would mean death.  I think the nomenclature should be changed personally - if something can end up causing an anaphalactic reaction it SHOULD be called an allergy.

  • Lemia

    12/20/2010 10:14:34 PM |

    Correction: I meant to say "Anaphalactic reaction" and not "Allergic reaction"

  • Lemia

    12/20/2010 10:25:59 PM |

    As a side note:  I recently had what would be seen as a typical "allergic" reaction after taking just 250 Niacin - (this was Slo-Niacin) which I have been taking for years - as a matter of fact, I have gone down from 500mg.  Never had a problem with it before today.  Throat, tongue and lip swelling, wheezing, hives and a raised rash over full head and torso, front and back.

    My curiousity is over whether high levels of HDL itself may be a factor in such a severe reaction.  I already have an extremely high HDL and wondering if increasing an already high HDL was the culprit.  I would like to hear your thoughts on that and if you know of any such studies.  My own physician would like me on a statin, which besides giving me many side effects (all of them), I am doubtful as to their need with a normal ratio.  Despite having a high total cholesterol (ranging any given time from 275 to 325) , my ratio is absolutely fine.  Again, I am interested in hearing your thoughts on the subject.
    Thanks greatly.

  • Anonymous

    2/3/2011 3:49:55 AM |

    I am so relieved to read about others' experiences. I have been taking Niaspan 500mg for about 6 months with fairly mild flushing. Last night I had a severe reaction. I turned bright red, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath. I was burning up from the top of my head to the top of my thighs ( my legs were fine ). I am a RN and worked ER for 20 years and never knew that these symptoms could occur after many months of the same dosage. It was a relief to hear that it was not just me! I will continue to take the Niaspan but am taking the night off tonight!

  • Elizabeth Dugan

    2/27/2011 3:44:45 AM |

    I took Niacin (500mg) for a couple of days and am going insane with the itching.  I haven't taken it for 2 days now but I am still itching.  Does anyone know how long the Niacin stays in one's system?  Thank you.

  • Anonymous

    3/15/2011 4:25:50 AM |

    im twelve and my dad made me eat a little..now i feel like im right in front of a 450 degree oven and i also feel like theres spikes protruding out of my body and my heart is beating like 5 time per secend

  • Anonymous

    3/30/2011 8:06:04 PM |

    The first time I took straight Niacin, not in a B-Complex, I got the flush severely. It actually started INSIDE my chest, it suddenly felt like there was cold water suddenly inside of my lungs, and I burst into a coughing fit. From there it spread. If it had stayed on my skin, it would have been fine. But it was inside my ears, and my whole sinuses puffed up so much I could barely breathe. I got VERY dizzy. I was on my way to the gym, and walked up 3 flights of stairs. By the time I got to the top of the stairs, my blood pressure had dropped so much I didn't make sense when talking, and then I promptly passed out. An ambulance was called, and after I came to and threw up, my BP was at some ridiculously low rate, like 55/40 or somewhere around there. VERY bad reaction, will not be taking again.

    And for those of you dismissing extreme reactors as "hypochondriacs", the flush is subjective, and how is passing out hypochondria?

  • Anonymous

    4/8/2011 12:26:17 AM |

    I have been taking niacin for years...I have found it to be the cure to brain farts...you know when you brain goes on vacation for like 3 seconds. I can't have that, I play bullet chess for several hours on end. That is where the whole game is played in a minute or less. Three seconds is an eternity. Anyway, I just had a massive flush; it happens once a year or so.  What usually triggers it for me is eating something with white bread.  They add niacin to it.  It is just enough to push me over the edge and instant beet.  You have to wait a few hours before having any white bread after taking niacin. Burger buns and pizza crust are the worst. It was Pizza this time. Intense exercise can also trigger it. But burger buns that is the biggie. I don't drink, so I have no familiarity with that interaction.
    One thing I did not see here is that afterword for a few days I feel really run down.  I either get the flush or not and when I do it is head to toe fire and itch, and I need several aspirin (I am 290 lb with a good deal of muscle)and lots of water and like three or more hours before it goes down.  I don't get a racing heart rate though. I don't want to cast any aspersions, but that sounds like panic ;). Oh, and scratching makes it worse for me, when it starts. I avoid that. I also sit down and do some mental relaxation exercises. I get dizzy if I stand up so I don't ;) I also think the shivering is just from having so much blood at the surface...it just pulls the heat from the core. I only shiver if I sit in front of a fan...still...I prefer the fan and shivers to fiery skin. But when I have not had access to a fan or cold water, I haven't had a shiver. I am not suggesting people take a lot of aspirin that is just me.
    Hmm, I like the dehydration explanation. When I exercise I do so intensely and for at least an hour...I suppose dehydration could be the reason exercise can trigger it in me.  I'll have to try extra water an hour before exercise. I may have been a little dehydrated this morning too as I awoke with both arms asleep and I was not sleeping on them. When that happens or if I have cramps when sleeping or on getting up, I have made the connection that I am generally dehydrated.

  • Anonymous

    4/9/2011 4:52:51 AM |

    I have been taking Niaspan for about 4 months. At first I had anxiety and flushing.  Now I just have the flushing and not daily. My doctor recommended that I take it with applesauce or apricots.  Pharmacist told my to take it with a low dose aspirin. Spicey food also seems to cause a reaction. I don't always get a flush and it only lasts about 20 minutes. My doctor also suggested I not use the aspirin because I won't get the full benefits. I am being monitored with blood tests and cholesterol is better. I also take Crestor.  I am a 51 year old post menopausal female with a family history of heart problems which I would like to avoid

  • Robin Ireland

    3/14/2012 3:34:40 PM |

    I stumbled upon a cure for the flush a few years ago. I was searching online and wound up at a drug reps site. Apparently one of their companies was doing a study on the Polyphenol Quercetin, and its natural ability to stop flushing. There were talks of combining Niacin with Quercetin to prevent it. So, being that it is a Polyphenol, and good for you, I thought I''d try it. It worked the very first time, and has worked for years since. I''ve been on up to 2G of Niaspan a day, and I take 2.5 G of Quercetin about 20 minutes beforehand and I almost never flush at all. If I do I just take a couple 500mg capsules of Quercetin and it goes away within 20 minutes. So, while I get a great dose of healthy Polyphenols I fight the flush too. I wish more people knew about this. Smile Just a word of wisdom though. Get the Quercetin alone. Some brands package it with Bromelain, which I found to upset my stomach over time.

  • Dr. William Davis

    3/16/2012 12:32:57 AM |

    Excellent find, Robin!

    You sure you need that much niacin, however?

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