Your face turns flush and your skin starts to itch. Your heart begins to beat faster. The itching may be felt all across your face and extend down your arms to your fingertips.
What is going on? If you're like me you forgot what you learned in school and had to call ask-a-nurse to be reminded.
You may have taken a little too much niacin, or vitamin B-3. It's ok, you'll be fine, it will probably wear off in about half an hour.
But it can really make you scared if you don't know what is going on.
What happened? I took a niacin supplement plus brewer's yeast which itself contains lots of niacin. That was nine years ago but I still remember it like yesterday.
Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid is very necessary for your body. Niacin is needed at the cellular level. It is an important nutrient in cellular processes that create the ultimate energy currency of your body - ATP or Adenosine Triphosphate.
A deficiency in niacin can lead to pellagra, which has a number of manifestations. An inflamed tongue and irritated gastric track and colon as well as depression and hard rough skin are just some of the symptoms of this deficiency disease.
Anxiety and hallucinations are also possible symptoms of pellagra. Wide spread pellagra is no longer seen in the United States, though individual cases can still occur.
Dermatitis, dementia and diarrhea are considered the 3 Ds or the classic symptoms of pellagra.
Diets rich in meats, eggs and milk provide adequate amounts of niacin to the body. Alcoholics and diabetics are at greater risk for being deficient in niacin.
Niacin is a vitamin, it is necessary to the body for cellular processes.
Oral supplementation can reverse the less severe cases of deficiency. In severe cases there may be permanent consequences.
So the next time your face flushes and you get an itching burning sensation down to your fingertips, take a moment to reflect before you panic. Did you have too much niacin?
This article is for information purposes only. If you have or think you have a health condition, consult your physician for proper diagnoses and treatment.
Dave Snape is a health, fitness and wellness enthusiast. His website is http://tobeinformed.com
move in cleaning service Glencoe ..FOOD (Macro-nutrients)One of the most important aspects of hill walking... Read More
In this fast paced world, good nutrition may sound very... Read More
The Immune System is probably the most important system in... Read More
Nutrition has everything to do with health. This isn't news,... Read More
The quality of food we eat (or lack thereof) has... Read More
Beans. Legumes. Pulses. Whatever you call this plant group, they... Read More
I would like to dispel some of the myths and... Read More
The debate regarding Fluoride continues to rage, is it good... Read More
For those of us that understand nutrition and it's importance... Read More
Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry capsules are a nutritious, all-natural alternative... Read More
People who consume too much alcohol have good chance of... Read More
Finally, dieters and healthy eaters everywhere have reason to rejoice,... Read More
Arthritis - if you suffer from this illness, I don't... Read More
The latest tallies show that over three million people in... Read More
The body is a marvelous creation, a carbon, oxygen combustion... Read More
Scandinavian fishermen are a healthy bunch. It had long been... Read More
It is often taken as a given fact that soy... Read More
The most incredible thing you can do for yourself is... Read More
The egg, the symbol of birth, of life and, therefore,... Read More
The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very... Read More
Headlines:Nearly a quarter of American adults just got diagnosed with... Read More
Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you... Read More
What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known... Read More
So, what is new about this that you already don't... Read More
Cholesterol has been around for thousands of years. It's a... Read More
disinfecting cleaning services Winnetka ..Do you know the risks to daily intakes of Starbucks... Read More
Acid Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common disease which... Read More
Aging occurs when the body's cells die at faster rates... Read More
We've heard it not only once or twice or even... Read More
It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has... Read More
Unfortunately, the words "diet" and "cheating" go hand in hand.... Read More
A green and lush oasis in the middle of a... Read More
According to the National Institute of Health, Magnesium is needed... Read More
Lactose is the primary carbohydrate in milk. Cow's milk contains... Read More
We come from a society where growing organic and just... Read More
After WLS we must concentrate on eating nutrient rich food.... Read More
In this newsletter we will discuss the current controversy about... Read More
Instead of Butter: Use top quality, cold pressed, extra virgin... Read More
Cholesterol is an essential building block of every cell in... Read More
Oats (botanical name Avena sativa)An oat is a grass that... Read More
The benefits from eating healthy are endless. And, according to... Read More
Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a... Read More
I confess: I'm completely addicted to Pringles. My determination weakens... Read More
Dr. Arthur Agatston, the cardiologist who developed South Beach Diet... Read More
Anyone who has spent a day fasting from food, or... Read More
Americans are literally running out of time. Achieving a work-life... Read More
Evidence suggesting that alcohol is "cardio-protective" first appeared in the... Read More
Our bodies need cholesterol. We use cholesterol to produce vitamin... Read More
Step 1: Eat five to ten servings per day of... Read More
The key to better health is learning the difference between... Read More
Nutrition |