Heart & Cardiovascular

Vitamin B3, also known as nicotinic acid, niacin is an essential nutrient, positioned at the core of NAD/NADH and NADP/NADPH, which are major redox-active "electron storage" compounds. One or both of these "redox pairs" is involved in every major biochemical pathway. Niacin may boost HDL, the 'good' cholesterol and may help reduce atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries in some people. For people who have already had a heart attack, niacin seems to lower the risk of a second one. There's is also some evidence that it might help lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease, cataracts, osteoarthritis, and type 1 diabetes.