Niacin, Part 2: Blood Tests, Foods, and Supplements | Mastering Nutrition #62
In part 1 we covered what niacin is and why you need it. Here’s part 2, where Alex Leaf and I cover blood tests, foods, and supplements!
How much do we need? The RDA has some flaws, including claiming women need less than men, when all the evidence shows women need *more* than men.This episode is brought to you by Ancestral Supplements' "Living" Collagen. Our Native American ancestors believed that eating the organs from a healthy animal would support the health of the corresponding organ of the individual. Ancestral Supplements has a nose-to-tail product line of grass-fed liver, organs, "living" collagen, bone marrow and more... in the convenience of a capsule. For more information or to buy any of their products, go to https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/ancestral
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In this episode, you will find all of the following and more:
Niacin Part 2 Show Notes
00:38 Cliff Notes
01:35 Recap of Part 1
15:32 Markers of niacin status
17:32 Methylated metabolites of niacin in the urine as a marker of niacin status
19:05 Caveat to using methylated metabolites of niacin in the urine as a marker of niacin status
20:16 Erythrocyte NAD(H)/NADP(H) ratio, the “niacin number,” as a marker of niacin status
22:55 Caveat to the niacin number as a marker of niacin status
28:34 Critique on how the RDA for niacin was established
40:12 How protein intake affects the dietary requirement for preformed niacin
42:48 Estrogen regulates the synthesis of niacin from tryptophan.
43:35 In men in particular, niacin synthesis from tryptophan might just be a way to clear excess tryptophan.
45:31 General discussion about protein requirements
49:46 How different forms of food processing, such as nixtamalization, fermentation, and sprouting, increase the bioavailability of niacin
52:51 Niacin in coffee
53:52 Niacin in nutritional yeast
54:16 Dietary sources of niacin, divided into five tiers
59:57 Niacin in herbs and spices, including spirulina
01:03:46 The contribution of the microbiome to niacin status is not well studied.
01:04:56 Where we would expect to see niacin deficiency
1:05:38 Risk factors for niacin deficiency include Hartnup’s disease, megaduodenum, intestinal malabsorption, carcinoid tumors, certain drugs, alcoholism, HIV/AIDS, and deficiencies of iron, riboflavin, and B6.
01:09:52 Risk factors for suboptimal niacin status include a diet based on unprocessed whole grains, a diet based on sugar and fat, a diet low in non-collagen protein, any form of cellular damage, and low ATP levels.
01:14:42 How metformin and berberine could affect niacin status
01:17:28 The effect of leucine and muscle growth on niacin status
01:19:54 The prevalence of inadequate niacin intake and niacin deficiency
01:24:00 Contributors to niacin toxicity
01:25:08 The use of nicotinic acid to benefit blood lipids and reduce heart disease risk
01:31:14 Potential side effects of taking nicotinic acid to manage blood lipids include the flushing reaction, liver harm, and increased diabetes risk.
01:34:22 The mechanism behind high-dose nicotinic acid-induced insulin resistance and how you could mitigate it
01:48:01 Rodent studies of nicotinamide riboside supplementation
01:50:58 Human studies of nicotinamide riboside supplementation
01:56:32 Why the rodent studies of nicotinamide riboside supplementation look more promising than the human studies
02:04:16 What is the probability that someone would get longevity benefits from supplementing with nicotinamide riboside?
02:05:15 Whether or not Alex and Chris will start supplementing with niacin after doing the research for this podcast
02:06:17 Should someone with hypercholesterolemia consider taking nicotinic acid? How should they manage the side effects, and which form is best?
02:10:53 Does it matter if niacin is taken with food?
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