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
family-safe home cleaners Morton Grove ..For those of us that understand nutrition and it's importance... Read More
The reason I remember the first time I was served... Read More
DeathDeath. Why it happens? Why do we die? Why do... Read More
Looking into statistics, we can see the average American consumes... Read More
The key to good hydration is drinking a lot of... Read More
Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you... Read More
Incorporating these fat loss tips will improve your nutrition program.... Read More
"To eat an apple before going to bed will make... Read More
You've heard that old saying: True beauty comes from within.... Read More
For all I prefer to buy my fresh produce at... Read More
My name is Mildred Shears. I'm retired and I live... Read More
How well do you know about vitamin K? This vitamin... Read More
Numerous reports have recently appeared in both the lay and... Read More
Can You Lose Weight Through Eating?You get fat when you... Read More
For the executive, maintaining the much-needed balance between career, family,... Read More
The Health and Nutrition Industry has come about as peoples... Read More
Recently I found the book : "Eating and health according... Read More
LIFESTYLE WELLNESS = An Adventure of Health + Vitality!Not a... Read More
Omega-3 appear to reduce the risk of heart attack. A... Read More
I would like to raise a question: Is Rejuvenation possible... Read More
Dr. Barry Sears revolutionized nutritional thinking around the world with... Read More
Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . . . What... Read More
Our diet is an essential factor for the formation of... Read More
Although you may have heard about soy and all of... Read More
Have you ever felt like you were completely losing your... Read More
home cleaning services Wilmette ..Established in 1989 by Stephen DeFelice, "Foundation for Innovation in... Read More
Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a common compliant of... Read More
Picture yourself in one of the following scenarios.You're cruising along... Read More
The dangers of processed foods and diets Why is that... Read More
In parts 1-4 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
First some terminology.Fructose ... a five carbon sugar that occurs... Read More
Post nasal drip is a sensation of mucous build up... Read More
How did we cure ourselves of many aches pains and... Read More
"You are what you eat."Does it sound familiar? You probably... Read More
Quick Overview- I think the most important thing for people... Read More
America's major dietary deficiency - EFA a panacea for good... Read More
The nutritional support in critically ill patients can be explained... Read More
Carbohydrates - found in grains, breads, pasta, and sugar, as... Read More
I want to tell you about the most healthful and... Read More
If you have high cholesterol, the American Heart Association's low-cholesterol,... Read More
There seems to be fairly poor tracking by any formal... Read More
We've heard it not only once or twice or even... Read More
Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a... Read More
Our bodies need cholesterol. We use cholesterol to produce vitamin... Read More
Eating right to suit your blood type" is a subject... Read More
After we have eaten a meal -- and often we... Read More
If you want to lose weight, there is one thing... Read More
An American culture that is marked by a chronic lack... Read More
How Can... Read More
It is always amazing to me when I find a... Read More
Nutrition |