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The different forms of Vitamin B3 provide different benefits for the body. For example, niacin has been shown to help to lower blood lipids such as cholesterol, while niacinamide can help with blood sugar regulation. Niacin maintains normal function of the skin, nerves and digestive system.

Niacin, also known as vitamin B3 or nicotinic acid, plays many roles in the body. It plays a large role in the metabolic process that creates energy in every cell. Vitamin B3 is also used to build a blood sugar-balancing substance made in the body called glucose tolerance factor (GTF). Whole grains, brewer's yeast, and meats are rich sources of niacin.

High-dose niacin—up to two grams a day—does a terrific job of lowering LDL, raising HDL, and lowering triglycerides. In a 1998 study published in the American Journal of Cardiology, niacin lowered LDL by 18 percent; total cholesterol by 11 percent; triglycerides by 24 percent; and raised HDL by 29 percent. When statins were added to niacin therapy, LDL went down a little more, but HDL actually went down slightly (remember, you want HDL to go up and LDL to go down) and the effect on triglycerides was essentially unchanged. Generally, niacin studies show that it doesn't cause LDL to drop as far as statins do, but it raises HDL much more significantly, which is more important. In other words, niacin can improve your LDL to HDL ratio.

The most meaningful number in cholesterol counting is the ratio of total cholesterol (LDL + HDL) to HDL. To find that ratio, add up the numbers for LDL and HDL and divide the total by the HDL. The ideal ratio is between 2 and 2.5


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