Niacin and Good Cholesterol: The Perfect Match

A recent study done by the University of Florida (UF), revealed that niacin acrually increases the good cholesterol (HDL) that the liver and intestines produce. It's been know for sometime that niacin has a positive impact on good cholesterol levels.

Niacin helps retain the HDL in the body which allows for a more favorable balance relative to the LDL (bad cholesterol).

A brief excerpt of the article in the University of Floria News follows that provides some insight into the study. To read the complete article click here: University of Florida News

[...] The body uses nicotinic acid to convert carbohydrates into energy. It is found in many over-the-counter multivitamin formulations and is sometimes prescribed on its own to lower triglycerides and increase good cholesterol. But until now, researchers weren’t quite sure whether niacin could actually increase good cholesterol levels. To find definitive evidence, the UF researchers tested human liver and intestine cells in the first study of its kind. They found that nicotinic acid increased the activity of a gene that produces a protein called apolipoprotein A-1, which is the major component of good cholesterol in the blood. Not only that, the researchers were able to identify the specific region of the gene that was responsible for making new HDL. [...]