Niacinamide - Insulin Resistance?

[Kyle Bigman]

I wanted to revisit a previous thread that discussed studies which showed that chronic usage of niacinamide can lead to insulin resistance.

I know Peat is a proponent of it, but what do you guys make of those studies?

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091222105449.htm

There were a couple of other studies as well on pubmed that I can't find now.

 

[Mito]

Peat is not a proponent of a high intake of niacinamide. He usually recommends only 125mg up to 4 times per day.

 

[haidut]

I wanted to revisit a previous thread that discussed studies which showed that chronic usage of niacinamide can lead to insulin resistance.

I know Peat is a proponent of it, but what do you guys make of those studies?

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091222105449.htm

There were a couple of other studies as well on pubmed that I can't find now.

Diabetes is caused by excess FFA floating in the blood, which blocks sugar oxidation as per the Randle cycle. Niacinamide lowers excess lipolysis/FFA and thus allows the cell to oxidize sugar again. Insulin also lowers FFA and also stimulates the glucose oxidation. This is why it is a therapy for diabetes. Diabetics have high FFA and glucose in the blood but the former part is almost never mentioned by doctors unless somebody ends up in ketoacidosis (driven by excess FFA) and even then the narrative is somehow still shifted to blame the "evil" sugar, while hyperglycemia is just a sign of high FFA.
https://raypeatforum.com/community/...nt-and-insulin-resistance-in-the-brain.23611/
https://raypeatforum.com/community/...sulin-sensitivity-w-o-altering-fat-mass.5498/

It is a classic move by Big Pharma to mention and treat only the symptoms and not the cause. This way, it is ensured that the disease is never cured and patient is just "managed" for life with toxic drugs. As an example, Google around and you will see that all the newest drugs for lowering HbA1 overwhelmingly do NOT result in better outcomes for patients and in fact dramatically increase all-cause mortality. That's what managing symptoms instead of treating the cause gets you.
Study claims low HbA1c increases mortality risk

Big Pharma knows quite well the beneficial effects of niacinamide and even created a bastardized synthetic version of it called Acipimox. Guess what they used it for? Prevention/treatment of dyslipidemia and diabetes II, of course.
Acipimox - Wikipedia

Here are some of Peat's writings on niacinamide.
Ray Peat, PhD Quotes on Therapeutic Effects of Niacinamide – Functional Performance Systems (FPS)

The study you posted is entirely observational. Interventional studies with both animals and humans have found that niacinamide can actually treat diabetes and insulin resistance.
https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/niacinamide-for-type-ii-diabetes.4948/

Did you search Peat's website and the forum as I suggested? You would have found all of these things and likely many more.

 

[Braveheart]

Diabetes is caused by excess FFA floating in the blood, which blocks sugar oxidation as per the Randle cycle. Niacinamide lowers excess lipolysis/FFA and thus allows the cell to oxidize sugar again. Insulin also lowers FFA and also stimulates the glucose oxidation. This is why it is a therapy for diabetes. Diabetics have high FFA and glucose in the blood but the former part is almost never mentioned by doctors unless somebody ends up in ketoacidosis (driven by excess FFA) and even then the narrative is somehow still shifted to blame the "evil" sugar, while hyperglycemia is just a sign of high FFA.
https://raypeatforum.com/community/...nt-and-insulin-resistance-in-the-brain.23611/
https://raypeatforum.com/community/...sulin-sensitivity-w-o-altering-fat-mass.5498/

It is a classic move by Big Pharma to mention and treat only the symptoms and not the cause. This way, it is ensured that the disease is never cured and patient is just "managed" for life with toxic drugs. As an example, Google around and you will see that all the newest drugs for lowering HbA1 overwhelmingly do NOT result in better outcomes for patients and in fact dramatically increase all-cause mortality. That's what managing symptoms instead of treating the cause gets you.
Study claims low HbA1c increases mortality risk

Big Pharma knows quite well the beneficial effects of niacinamide and even created a bastardized synthetic version of it called Acipimox. Guess what they used it for? Prevention/treatment of dyslipidemia and diabetes II, of course.
Acipimox - Wikipedia

Here are some of Peat's writings on niacinamide.
Ray Peat, PhD Quotes on Therapeutic Effects of Niacinamide – Functional Performance Systems (FPS)

The study you posted is entirely observational. Interventional studies with both animals and humans have found that niacinamide can actually treat diabetes and insulin resistance.
https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/niacinamide-for-type-ii-diabetes.4948/

Did you search Peat's website and the forum as I suggested? You would have found all of these things and likely many more.

Nice review Mr. Haidut....thank you

 

[Kyle Bigman]

Thank you Haidut, this is very helpful info.

 

[CaliforniaKat]

So if I know I am IR and looking to try Peaty eating, should I supplement with niacinamide?

Have been on the forum for some time. Have several issues happening and not sure what to do first. IR, high cortisol, anxiety and insomnia, hypothyroid, and whacky girlie hormones.

 

[ddjd]

Would 1g of Niacinamide, twice a day, every day, be overdoing it?

 

[Mito]

Would 1g of Niacinamide, twice a day, every day, be overdoing it?

Peat has said that niacinamide up to 1 gram per day is probably safe but he recommends lower doses like 200-500 mg per day in divided doses.

Niacinamide depletes the methyl pool so the exact dose where this becomes a problem is going to be different for everyone. https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/niacinamide-increases-homocysteine.18528/page-2

 

[Braveheart]

I am currently taking 1 gram daily in divided dose for my aktinic keratosis and it seems to be working...but I also notice weight gain...no other side effects.

 

[haidut]

So if I know I am IR and looking to try Peaty eating, should I supplement with niacinamide?

Have been on the forum for some time. Have several issues happening and not sure what to do first. IR, high cortisol, anxiety and insomnia, hypothyroid, and whacky girlie hormones.

As another user noted above, doses in the 200mg-500mg range in divided daily doses would probably be better as per Peat's recommendations but animal studies showing improvement in insulin sensitivity used the equivalent of 1g-1.5g daily as shown in the last link of my post above.
Niacinamide For Type II Diabetes

 

[Hans]

Nicotinic acid causes insulin resistance because it causes free fatty acids to rebound (in some cases even two fold) after initially inhibiting lipolysis. Maybe this could be because niacin depletes methyl donors, thus elevating epinephrine, which increases lipolysis. So in some people take highish dose daily, 1g+, could lead to an increase in basal free fatty acids the next day and subsequent insulin resistance if they have low methyl donors to start with.

Not sure if this is the case with niacinamide, but I don't think so because niacinamide improves insulin sensitivity as per the studies found in Haiduts thread.

 

[haidut]

Nicotinic acid causes insulin resistance because it causes free fatty acids to rebound (in some cases even two fold) after initially inhibiting lipolysis. Maybe this could be because niacin depletes methyl donors, thus elevating epinephrine, which increases lipolysis. So in some people take highish dose daily, 1g+, could lead to an increase in basal free fatty acids the next day and subsequent insulin resistance if they have low methyl donors to start with.

Not sure if this is the case with niacinamide, but I don't think so because niacinamide improves insulin sensitivity as per the studies found in Haiduts thread.

What you mentioned about niacin is exactly why Peat does not recommend it. It also increases histamine and serotonin. Niacinamide does not seem to have the FFA rebound and histamine effects, and in higher doses it seems to actually act like serotonin antagonist. Niacin does not have that effect.
Tranquilizing and antiserotonin activity of nicotinamide. - PubMed - NCBI
Niacinamide Is Both A Serotonin And Tryptophan Antagonist

 

[ddjd]

I wanted to revisit a previous thread that discussed studies which showed that chronic usage of niacinamide can lead to insulin resistance.

I know Peat is a proponent of it, but what do you guys make of those studies?

Is nicotinamide overload a trigger for type 2 diabetes?

There were a couple of other studies as well on pubmed that I can't find now.

on a purely observational level, ive noticed that everything that lowers my insulin resistance give me a flatter belly and less fat around the waistline (apple cider vinegar will do this for instance). I just dont understand why niacinamide has the opposite effect, i get more belly fat, more bloated, after taking it. Niacinamide definitely does reduce adrenaline and serotonin, but theres something more complex going on here and something isnt quite adding up if niacinamide is supposed to increase insulin sensitivity.

 

[ecstatichamster]

on a purely observational level, ive noticed that everything that lowers my insulin resistance give me a flatter belly and less fat around the waistline (apple cider vinegar will do this for instance). I just dont understand why niacinamide has the opposite effect, i get more belly fat, more bloated, after taking it. Niacinamide definitely does reduce adrenaline and serotonin, but theres something more complex going on here and something isnt quite adding up if niacinamide is supposed to increase insulin sensitivity.

It inhibits free fatty acids and lipolysis but niacinamide I doubt increases insulin sensitivity.

 

[Sourdoughbanana]

So if I know I am IR and looking to try Peaty eating, should I supplement with niacinamide?

Have been on the forum for some time. Have several issues happening and not sure what to do first. IR, high cortisol, anxiety and insomnia, hypothyroid, and whacky girlie hormones.

Have you ever gotten fasted insulin bloods drawn? You’d need to get the HOMA-IR score shooting for 1 as the optimal value. How’s your cholesterol? Less than 1g of LDL means pretty much no inflammation to be found.

This can be achieved naturally with a proper low fat, low GI diet. Tubers, some fruit = plenty of natural sugar.

As mentioned above, using acidic tools to improve digestion is going to help tremendously. As you age stomach acid production slows down and the parietal cells take forever to produce the HCL. That’s all histamine dependent which isn’t helping much I believe. Correct me if I’m wrong but more HCL needed = more histamine triggered. Overall bad for inflammation and could lead to histamine resistance, poor digestion, overloaded liver adrenals thyroid... I’ve had a decent amount of success recommending betaine HCL + digestive enzymes to people who won’t go full on vegan or “alkaline-neurotic”

 

[ecstatichamster]

Have you ever gotten fasted insulin bloods drawn? You’d need to get the HOMA-IR score shooting for 1 as the optimal value. How’s your cholesterol? Less than 1g of LDL means pretty much no inflammation to be found.

This can be achieved naturally with a proper low fat, low GI diet. Tubers, some fruit = plenty of natural sugar.

As mentioned above, using acidic tools to improve digestion is going to help tremendously. As you age stomach acid production slows down and the parietal cells take forever to produce the HCL. That’s all histamine dependent which isn’t helping much I believe. Correct me if I’m wrong but more HCL needed = more histamine triggered. Overall bad for inflammation and could lead to histamine resistance, poor digestion, overloaded liver adrenals thyroid... I’ve had a decent amount of success recommending betaine HCL + digestive enzymes to people who won’t go full on vegan or “alkaline-neurotic”

For healthy people, stomach acid is not decline with age.

 

[Sourdoughbanana]

Really? So what is this stemming from:

Google Image Result for http://garligest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/stomach-acid-age.png

Seen this graph everywhere.

 

[ddjd]

I’ve had a decent amount of success recommending betaine HCL + digestive enzymes to people who won’t go full on vegan or “alkaline-neurotic”

do you recommend ACV?

 

[Sourdoughbanana]

do you recommend ACV?

I’ve seen it work very well, it’s even too strong for some - my mommy gets rekt if she goes above 1tsp, but that fixed her “colon” issues. Very pleasurable for us, at least.

 

[tara]

Would 1g of Niacinamide, twice a day, every day, be overdoing it?

There may be reasons to supplement at higher doses short term for specific conditions, but generally, I've seen Peat recommend doses of the order of 50-100mg with meals.