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Immune Boosting Effects of B3/Niacin.

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
Buhner talks about niacin in his Lyme protocol as well.
I think it is super interesting because my neutrophils are consistently below range. It would be awesome if something like this would really work! At least it is unlikely to cause harm.
Niacin may also help with migraines...which would be great too!
Ema
From: naturalnews.com

Originally published September 4 2012
Vitamin B3 may be the cure for drug-resistant superbug infections

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) While the pharmaceutical industry is busy trying to conjure up new drugs to tackle the antibiotic-resistant "superbug" epidemic, a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigationexplains how simple vitamin B3, also known as nicotinamide (NAM), taken in high doses may effectively thwart staph and other potentially life-threatening infections without the need for drugs.

Researchers from both Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in California and the Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) at Oregon State University (OSU) collaborated with one another to test the effects of high doses of NAM administered to both live mice and human blood infected with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). What they found was that vitamin B3 significantly boosts the number and effectiveness of neutrophils, or white blood cells that target infections.

It turns out that, when taken in doses far higher than those recommended by the federal government, vitamin B3 is capable of significantly boosting the body's own natural immune system to the point where many diseases simply cannot survive. According to the study, vitamin B3 is capable of increasing immune capacity by 1,000 times, allowing the body to naturally fight MRSA and other deadly pathogens.

"This could give us a new way to treat staph infections that can be deadly," said Adrian Gombart, an associate professor at LPI, about the dramatic findings. "It's a way to tap into the power of the innate immune system and stimulate it to provide a more powerful and natural immune response."

NAM is not just effective against S. aureus, though. Several other virulent pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), also seem to respond favorably to NAM's dramatic immune-boosting capacity. By bolstering the immune system's natural defenses, NAM appears to facilitate the destruction and elimination of a host of deadly pathogens and viruses.

"NAM is not only effective against S. aureus, it also has demonstrated efficacy against other major human pathogens, such as K. pneumoniae (Klebsiella pneumoniae) and P. aeruginosa (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), in our human peripheral blood killing assay," wrote the authors in their discussion. "We have demonstrated that NAM, as an HDAC inhibitor, can improve host defense and thereby promote bacterial clearance."

And unlike antibiotic drugs, vitamin B3 does not destroy all the beneficial bacteria in the gut along with the harmful bacteria. So for most people, taking mega-doses of therapeutic vitamin B3 is preferable to taking immune-destroying antibiotics that can later promote the growth of Candida albicans and other harmful yeast overgrowths and bacterial imbalances within the body.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.jci.org/articles/view/62070?key=a39ce7efc2f764ede04

http://www.feedstuffs.com

http://www.foxnews.com
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
http://www.mpg.de/1076587/Nicotine_Immune_Cells_Artherosclerosis


In genetically modified mice, Max Planck researchers were able to demonstrate that nicotinic acid strongly inhibits the progression of atherosclerosis, just as in humans. In mice that lacked the nicotinic acid receptor GPR109A, the agent had no effect on atherosclerosis. In contrast to human cholesterol levels, the cholesterol levels of mice remain constant despite the administration of nicotinic acid. “This suggests that nicotinic acid does have an anti-atherosclerotic effect via its receptor, but that this is not due to a change in the lipid concentration”, says Stefan Offermanns, Director at the Max Planck Institute in Bad Nauheim.
Further studies showed that the nicotinic acid receptor is present in different immune cells. For example, the receptor was found in macrophages in atherosclerotic blood vessels. When the scientists intentionally blocked the receptor in the cells of the immune system, the effect of the nicotinic acid disappeared. This suggests that the receptor expressed by immune cells transmits the anti-atherosclerotic effect.
Finally, experiments showed that nicotinic acid keeps macrophages from entering the atherosclerotic vascular wall by activating its receptor, thereby halting chronic inflammation. Furthermore, nicotinic acid changes the gene expression in the immune cells of the vascular wall and thereby stops the inflammatory activity of these cells. They thus become more efficient at removing cholesterol stored in the atherosclerotic vascular wall.
These findings suggest that the beneficial impact of nicotinic acid, one of the oldest agents used against atherosclerosis, inhibits inflammation in vascular walls. Targeted anti-inflammatory measures are therefore generally an efficient principle for treating atherosclerosis and preventing cardiovascular diseases. “Moreover, the effects of nicotinic acid on different cells in the immune system point to new possibilities for treating other diseases which are associated with excessive immune reactions or chronic inflammation”, says Offermanns.

 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
I think they are high - 80-90 mg/kg if I recall correctly.

The doses I saw for anxiety and depression also go along with that - 1000-3000 mg three times a day.

I wonder if there are any risks to taking that much?
 

rosie26

Senior Member
Messages
2,446
Location
NZ
I had a quick look on google an hour ago and their are toxic doses, where you can get liver damage and can cause I think Diabetes 2.
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
All these forms of niacin are terribly confusing to me so please don't take this as authority...from what I have read >1000 mg of sustained release niacin can cause liver damage. Doses greater than 3000 mg of the flushing form are considered to be toxic by some. But then you see people taking up to 9000 mg/day without issue.

So I really have no idea! Hopefully someone more familiar with niacin will see this thread and comment.

I get liver labs every 2 weeks for the cidofovir anyway so I'll see pretty quickly if it becomes an issue.
 

Abha

Abha
Messages
267
Location
UK
Hi Emma/all,
I have taken 1ooomgx3(day)(for 4 months) plus an extract(Berberin/grapewood?) to help with my own health problems.I heard about the importance of B vitamins in early 1980's directly from Dr Kenneth Mc All.At that time he prescribed large doses of B1,B3 and B6 for my problems.More recently I have taken the fore mentioned amounts to help with ongoing health problems.Dr Mercola speaks to some one in his interviews(youtube) re insulin resistance and the importance of B3.It is a lengthy interview and Dr Wright(USA?) is mentioned re B3.He is an expert on that protocol.It is also used to treat arthritis and other problems.If you have liver problems then it is not for you.I have used it for 4 months recently and I have had no problems.I haven't seen any great benefits but who knows it may have helped!There are other doctors(youtube) who speak about B3 and its benefits(like a miracle cure!)
 

Abha

Abha
Messages
267
Location
UK
Hi Emma/All,
Further to earlier posting..I should have mentioned I used niacinamide.
In the Youtube video Dr Mercola interviews Dr Dietrich Klinghardt about Lyme disease.After about 1 hr and 2mins they discuss Niacin/niacinamide in relation to Insulin resistance/Lyme disease/and other diseases(osteoarthritis etc).Dr Klinghardt states that niacin and niacinamide have the same antimicrobial activity.You can listen to that yourself by going direct to the point 1 hr 2 mins of the video.Then listen for the next 10 mins or so.Hopefully this has made it clearer!
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
Ema. Have u come across any info on non flushing niacin, inositol hexaniacinate being effective at increasing neutrophils? ? Higher doses are alot easier to tolerate?

I have some on hand I used awhile ago now for cholesterol for which it didnt really help. Wish I could remember when I used it tocompare it to past neutrneutrophil tests. Used it well before valcyte.
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
Ema. Have u come across any info on non flushing niacin, inositol hexaniacinate being effective at increasing neutrophils? ? Higher doses are alot easier to tolerate?

I have some on hand I used awhile ago now for cholesterol for which it didnt really help. Wish I could remember when I used it tocompare it to past neutrneutrophil tests. Used it well before valcyte.
Niacinamide is the non-flushing part of niacin. That is what I'm using.

I'm not sure about inositol hexaniacinate...the studies seem to reference niacinamide most often.

I'm getting blood work tomorrow so we'll see if the niacinamide has done anything for my neutrophils...
 
Last edited:

Changexpert

Senior Member
Messages
112
I was diagnosed with very low neutrophils and WBC counts back in November. I got so sick in December to the point I had severe digestive issues. Upon researching potential supplements for immune boost, I decided to try Lactoferrin. To my surprise, lactoferrin worked very well and my WBC level went from 3,000/uL to 4,800/uL in just one month! Neutrophil increased from 900/uL to 2,800/uL as well, and the percentage went from 29% to 53%. One side effect I had with lactoferrin was increased hair loss, which I am still not sure why that occurred.

Even though lactoferrin is great at boosting immune system, there is no consensus on how that is achieved and what kind of impact it has on the overall immune response. Some studies say lactoferrin acts as an adaptogen, correcting imbalance between th1 and th2. Some studies say it shifts body toward th1 while others say toward th2. This particular study shows the shift toward th2, which is not where we want to be. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8874770

My advice on lactoferrin would be to use it for one week, see how your body reacts, and prolong no more than one month. Once your body's immune system's blood work is in the reference range, it can start working again to head toward right direction.
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
Given the "lacto" in lactoferrin ... I wonder if it causes GI problems in people intolerant to dairy products.
Thoughts?

Thanks
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
There's no lactose or whey in lactoferrin and these are the most common problems in dairy. There is very little if any casein either.

It's typically recommended to proceed cautiously if you have a very severe allergy but lactoferrin is thought to be ok for most with dairy sensitivities.

Only way to know for sure is to bite the lemon though.
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
There's no lactose or whey in lactoferrin and these are the most common problems in dairy. There is very little if any casein either.

It's typically recommended to proceed cautiously if you have a very severe allergy but lactoferrin is thought to be ok for most with dairy sensitivities.

Only way to know for sure is to bite the lemon though.
Thanks, I might bite it :)
 

drob31

Senior Member
Messages
1,487
I'm off all supplements but NAD+. I realized this simply converts to B3, so I'm taking B3 now instead.

Something is happening.
 

picante

Senior Member
Messages
829
Location
Helena, MT USA
I wonder if there are any risks to taking that much?
There are if you don't realize the connection between methylation and B3. I can just see it: someone who thinks he's healthy takes a bunch of B3 for a few weeks, and suddenly he's undermethylated, but has no clue what's going on -- just a bunch of new symptoms.