Another way to prevent niacin flushing thru the use of betaine.

[Betaine Hc]

I've found that taking 30 grains of betaine HCl or betaine
base (trimethylglycine) with TR niacin prevents flushing and
the skipped heart beats that I get when taking high dose
niacin without the betaine. I have in my mind that high doses
of niacin depletes methyl groups levels and betaine is an
excellent source of methyl groups. I take 30 grains of betaine
and 400 mg of TR niacin with each meal.

Does anyone have a comment on this? Prior my posting has
anyone heard of this?

Would taking niacin and betaine prevent niacin from altering
the blood lipids? I suspect that taking the extra betaine
likely relieves the "stress" the niacin puts on the liver.

[Betaine Hc]

My experience is one of the practical application of the
following idea.
--------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------

: Med Hypotheses. 2000 Sep;55(3):189-94.

Co-administration of equimolar doses of betaine may alleviate
the hepatotoxic risk associated with niacin therapy.

McCarty MF.

Pantox Laboratories, San Diego, California 92109, USA.

High-dose niacin has versatile and substantial efficacy for
the treatment of hyperlipidemias, but its utility is
compromised by various side effects, the most serious of which
is liver damage. It is proposed that this hepatotoxicity
reflects the high demand for methyl groups imposed by niacin
catabolism, leading to a reduction in hepatic levels of
S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). Depletion of the hepatic SAM pool
has likewise been shown to mediate, at least in part, the
hepatotoxic effects of ethanol, methotrexate, and niacinamide.
If niacin does indeed decrease SAM, a likely consequence would
be a counterproductive elevation of plasma homocysteine.
Conceivably, methyl group deficiency, by altering membrane
properties of skeletal muscle, also contributes to niacin-
induced insulin resistance. Concurrent betaine supplementation
- preferably administered as a complex with equimolar amounts
of niacin - may represent the most cost-effective way to
prevent niacin-mediated depletion of SAM and thus avoid
hepatotoxicity (and possibly other adverse effects) while
controlling homocysteine. Betaine also merits evaluation as an
adjuvant to methotrexate and niacinamide therapies.

PMID: 10985907 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[David]

On Jun 27, 7:24 pm, betaine_...@yahoo.com wrote:
> My experience is one of the practical application of the
> following idea.
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------------------------------
>
> : Med Hypotheses. 2000 Sep;55(3):189-94.
>
> Co-administration of equimolar doses of betaine may
> alleviate the hepatotoxic risk associated with niacin
> therapy.
>
> McCarty MF.
>
> Pantox Laboratories, San Diego, California 92109, USA.
>
> High-dose niacin has versatile and substantial efficacy for
> the treatment of hyperlipidemias, but its utility is
> compromised by various side effects, the most serious of
> which is liver damage. It is proposed that this
> hepatotoxicity reflects the high demand for methyl groups
> imposed by niacin catabolism, leading to a reduction in
> hepatic levels of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). Depletion of
> the hepatic SAM pool has likewise been shown to mediate, at
> least in part, the hepatotoxic effects of ethanol,
> methotrexate, and niacinamide. If niacin does indeed
> decrease SAM, a likely consequence would be a
> counterproductive elevation of plasma homocysteine.
> Conceivably, methyl group deficiency, by altering membrane
> properties of skeletal muscle, also contributes to niacin-
> induced insulin resistance. Concurrent betaine
> supplementation - preferably administered as a complex with
> equimolar amounts of niacin - may represent the most
> cost-effective way to prevent niacin-mediated depletion of
> SAM and thus avoid hepatotoxicity (and possibly other
> adverse effects) while controlling homocysteine. Betaine
> also merits evaluation as an adjuvant to methotrexate and
> niacinamide therapies.
>
> PMID: 10985907 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Thanks for this.........I'd never heard of the possible
niacin-TMG connection, but I'll definitely give it a try and
see if it prevents the flushing! I'll report back on the
results (should be next week when I receive the TMG). -David

[Betaine Hc]

I should add. I also take some sizable dose of the B vitamins
and similar things. Not much as perhaps as Micheal Price, but
still quite a few. So your mileage may differ from mine.

A google search of this group sci.life-extension with the
words Nelson, betaine, and niacin will reveal other discussion
on this topic.


On Jun 27, 6:59 pm, David <david.spro...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jun 27, 7:24 pm, betaine_...@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>
>
> > My experience is one of the practical application of the
> > following idea. ------------------------------------------
> > ------------------------------=
----=AD---------------------
>
> > : Med Hypotheses. 2000 Sep;55(3):189-94.
>
> > Co-administration of equimolar doses of betaine may
> > alleviate the hepatotoxic risk associated with niacin
> > therapy.
>
> > McCarty MF.
>
> > Pantox Laboratories, San Diego, California 92109, USA.
>
> > High-dose niacin has versatile and substantial efficacy
> > for the treatment of hyperlipidemias, but its utility is
> > compromised by various side effects, the most serious of
> > which is liver damage. It is proposed that this
> > hepatotoxicity reflects the high demand for methyl groups
> > imposed by niacin catabolism, leading to a reduction in
> > hepatic levels of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). Depletion of
> > the hepatic SAM pool has likewise been shown to mediate,
> > at least in part, the hepatotoxic effects of ethanol,
> > methotrexate, and niacinamide. If niacin does indeed
> > decrease SAM, a likely consequence would be a
> > counterproductive elevation of plasma homocysteine.
> > Conceivably, methyl group deficiency, by altering membrane
> > properties of skeletal muscle, also contributes to niacin-
> > induced insulin resistance. Concurrent betaine
> > supplementation - preferably administered as a complex
> > with equimolar amounts of niacin - may represent the most
> > cost-effective way to prevent niacin-mediated depletion of
> > SAM and thus avoid hepatotoxicity (and possibly other
> > adverse effects) while controlling homocysteine. Betaine
> > also merits evaluation as an adjuvant to methotrexate and
> > niacinamide therapies.
>
> > PMID: 10985907 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
>
> Thanks for this.........I'd never heard of the possible
> niacin-TMG connection, but I'll definitely give it a try and
> see if it prevents the flushing! I'll report back on the
> results (should be next week when I receive the TMG). -David