SIBO, GERD, LPR, IBS, & Colitis Could Be Vitamin B3 Deficiency - "Niacin Treats Digestive Problems"

charlie

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"Many digestive problems such as bloating, abdominal distention or pain, heartburn and belching are caused by a lack of stomach acid (hypochlorhydria) which can be traced to a lack of niacin. An adequate output of stomach acid is required in order to prevent fungal and bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine (candidiasis and Helicobacter pylori) and to facilitate the flow of bile and pancreatic enzymes. Dr. Jonathan Prousky of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine believes that many cases of hypochlorhydria can be traced to a relative lack of vitamin B3 (niacin, niacinamide). Some people, it appears, have a much higher than normal need for vitamin B3 especially when under stress. If this need is not met then digestive problems arise. Dr. Prousky cites the cases of two patients with abdominal bloating and other digestion-related problems whose condition improved very significantly after starting to supplement with 1-3 grams/day of niacin (in divided doses). One of the patients also suffered from gastroesophageal reflux (GERD); his symptoms completely disappeared after beginning niacin supplementation.

Dr. Prousky suggests that patients who suffer the symptoms of low stomach acid production can markedly improve their condition by supplementing with 200-500 mg of niacinamide with every meal. For more severe cases betaine hydrochloride and 500-1000 mg of niacin per meal may be required. This regimen may also help to eradicate a Helicobacter pylori infection. NOTE: High doses of niacin should only be taken under the supervision of a physician.
Prousky, Jonathan E. Is vitamin B3 dependency a causal factor in the development of hypochlorhydria and achlorhydria? Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Vol. 16, No. 4, 4th quarter 2001, pp. 225-37 [74 references]"

Source:
Niacin treats digestive problems

I would also like to add that the rest of the B vitamins and their co-factors are likely deficient.
 

postman

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B3 didn't fix my IBS. If you take high doses of niacin like that you're gonna get the niacin flush, or maybe the prostaglandin flush would be a more apt name for it.
 
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charlie

charlie

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B3 didn't fix my IBS. If you take high doses of niacin like that you're gonna get the niacin flush, or maybe the prostaglandin flush would be a more apt name for it.
At what dose and how long did you take it?
 

postman

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At what dose and how long did you take it?
I took it for anxiety after seeing that documentary about Abram Hoffer or whatever, it was quite effective at first but I had to continue upping the dose. I think I eventually got up to about 10 grams per day and then I started suffering from nausea and eating made the nausea much worse. Felt pretty crappy in general as well and I think my eye whites looked a bit unhealthy so I stopped taking it. I think the flushing can be therapeutic, for whatever reason, but obviously looking at it from a Peat perspective it's not very healthy at all. I've also tried niacinamide, it didn't do much of anything for me really, nothing noticable anyways.
 
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charlie

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I took it for anxiety after seeing that documentary about Abram Hoffer or whatever, it was quite effective at first but I had to continue upping the dose. I think I eventually got up to about 10 grams per day and then I started suffering from nausea and eating made the nausea much worse. Felt pretty crappy in general as well and I think my eye whites looked a bit unhealthy so I stopped taking it. I think the flushing can be therapeutic, for whatever reason, but obviously looking at it from a Peat perspective it's not very healthy at all. I've also tried niacinamide, it didn't do much of anything for me really, nothing noticable anyways.
Well this thread is talking about niacinamide so there will be no flush. The thread I am linking to below the article says it takes several months to overcome a deficiency:

"The number one mistake people make when taking niacinamide is they don't take it for long enough. It takes 4 to 6 months to overcome a serious deficiency of this vitamin, and for your mucus membranes (GI lining) to heal itself."
Source:
A Differential Diagnosis: How Pellagra Can Be Confused With Celiac Disease
 

postman

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Well this thread is talking about niacinamide so there will be no flush. The thread I am linking to below the article says it takes several months to overcome a deficiency:

"The number one mistake people make when taking niacinamide is they don't take it for long enough. It takes 4 to 6 months to overcome a serious deficiency of this vitamin, and for your mucus membranes (GI lining) to heal itself."
Source:
A Differential Diagnosis: How Pellagra Can Be Confused With Celiac Disease
Oh ok yeah I have no experience with taking niacinamide daily for 6 months. That seems to be a different protocol than the example Prousky mentioned in the original post. 500-1000mg niacin is definitely enough to cause flushing btw, although that will stop occuring after a couple of times. I think my aformentioned experience took place probably in about 3-4 months or something like that, it was a long time ago now so I'm not completely sure.
 

Cirion

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Also just taking B3 alone probably isn't sufficient, as charlie suggested. I'm taking Energin personally which has all the B vitamins, and in appropriate ratios too. In addition, I've started to eat eggs virtually every day, for Choline (which is basically another B vitamin). I've also been increasing my saturated fats and slowly lowering my carbs (after realizing excess fructose/carbs can be a burden on the liver).
 
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charlie

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^ Yes and also magnesium and potassium along with manganese work together with B-vitamins. Maple syrup has a decent amount of manganese.
 

GutFeeling

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I took it for anxiety after seeing that documentary about Abram Hoffer or whatever, it was quite effective at first but I had to continue upping the dose. I think I eventually got up to about 10 grams per day and then I started suffering from nausea and eating made the nausea much worse. Felt pretty crappy in general as well and I think my eye whites looked a bit unhealthy so I stopped taking it. I think the flushing can be therapeutic, for whatever reason, but obviously looking at it from a Peat perspective it's not very healthy at all. I've also tried niacinamide, it didn't do much of anything for me really, nothing noticable anyways.

Are you blood glucose ok?
 

GutFeeling

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Well now it is, that was a long time ago. I don't have anxiety anymore, at least not in a pathological kind of way, if I eat right.
Interesting, some studies point that niacin/nicotinamide can induce insulin resistance.
 

nbznj

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Also just taking B3 alone probably isn't sufficient, as charlie suggested. I'm taking Energin personally which has all the B vitamins, and in appropriate ratios too. In addition, I've started to eat eggs virtually every day, for Choline (which is basically another B vitamin). I've also been increasing my saturated fats and slowly lowering my carbs (after realizing excess fructose/carbs can be a burden on the liver).

But saturated fats are a bigger burden because of how they down regulate LDL receptors. Decreasing carbs is never a good idea
 

aguilaroja

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Oh ok yeah I have no experience with taking niacinamide daily for 6 months. That seems to be a different protocol than the example Prousky mentioned in the original post. ...

Here are links to the case reports by Prousky:
Is Vitamin B3 Dependency a Causal Factor in the Development of Hypochlorhydria and Achlorhydria? - Jonathan E. Prousky, B.P.H.E., B.Sc., N.D.
http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/2001/pdf/2001-v16n04-p225.pdf

The two cases discussed by Prousky used niacin rather than niacinamide.
However, Prousky also mentions William Kaufman's 1943 book–"The common form of niacin amide deficiency disease: aniacinamidosis"–which notes relief using niacinamide in cases of "digestive upset:

"...many signs and symptoms of the aniacinamidosis syndrome were suggestive of hypochlorhydria - e.g. digestive upsets, an occasional sense of fullness when only small amounts of food are eaten, heartburn, frequent belching, indigestion, abdominal discomfort or pain, loose stools up to three times per day or constipation, glossitis, and general malaise. Kaufman’s work showed that as little as 50-100 mg of niacinamide three times per day was all that was required to completely ameliorate the troublesome signs and symptoms of aniacinamidosis."

See the full Prousky article for his thinking at the time, and also Dr. Kaufman's works, listed here:
biblio_kaufman
 
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charlie

charlie

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Here are links to the case reports by Prousky:
Is Vitamin B3 Dependency a Causal Factor in the Development of Hypochlorhydria and Achlorhydria? - Jonathan E. Prousky, B.P.H.E., B.Sc., N.D.
http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/2001/pdf/2001-v16n04-p225.pdf

The two cases discussed by Prousky used niacin rather than niacinamide.
However, Prousky also mentions William Kaufman's 1943 book–"The common form of niacin amide deficiency disease: aniacinamidosis"–which notes relief using niacinamide in cases of "digestive upset:

"...many signs and symptoms of the aniacinamidosis syndrome were suggestive of hypochlorhydria - e.g. digestive upsets, an occasional sense of fullness when only small amounts of food are eaten, heartburn, frequent belching, indigestion, abdominal discomfort or pain, loose stools up to three times per day or constipation, glossitis, and general malaise. Kaufman’s work showed that as little as 50-100 mg of niacinamide three times per day was all that was required to completely ameliorate the troublesome signs and symptoms of aniacinamidosis."

See the full Prousky article for his thinking at the time, and also Dr. Kaufman's works, listed here:
biblio_kaufman
Thank you for this!!!

So my theory is that SIBO, LPR, IBS, UCC and all the other alphabet letter digestive malfunction names are nothing more than vitamin B deficiencies. Although the co-factors will of course need to be with them, and like Amazoniac et el has said, the vitamins run as a constellation.

According to my theory "SIBO-C" aka constipation SIBO is Beriberi. Due to the work of Amazoniac et el 2027(a man ahead of his time) I picked up on that thiamine deficiency(Beriberi) always presented with constipation as the norm. Then you get all other kind of wonderful deficiency symptoms along with it that people report all over the SIBO forums.

So then "SIBO-D" which is SIBO diarrhea would be Pellagra. One of the big symptoms that people report on the SIBO forums is "brain fog". Well, dementia is one of the four D's of Pellagra, dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and the final D, death.

So yeh that is my theory I am kicking around right now. When I started researching my theory and found someone else who figured out that Celiac "disease" might actually be Pellagra, and that Ulcerative Colitis was reversed with Niacin. That showed me I was on the right track and this should probably be investigated more thoroughly.
 

gaze

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Thank you for this!!!

So my theory is that SIBO, LPR, IBS, UCC and all the other alphabet letter digestive malfunction names are nothing more than vitamin B deficiencies. Although the co-factors will of course need to be with them, and like Amazoniac et el has said, the vitamins run as a constellation.

According to my theory "SIBO-C" aka constipation SIBO is Beriberi. Due to the work of Amazoniac et el 2027(a man ahead of his time) I picked up on that thiamine deficiency(Beriberi) always presented with constipation as the norm. Then you get all other kind of wonderful deficiency symptoms along with it that people report all over the SIBO forums.

So then "SIBO-D" which is SIBO diarrhea would be Pellagra. One of the big symptoms that people report on the SIBO forums is "brain fog". Well, dementia is one of the four D's of Pellagra, dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and the final D, death.

So yeh that is my theory I am kicking around right now. When I started researching my theory and found someone else who figured out that Celiac "disease" might actually be Pellagra, and that Ulcerative Colitis was reversed with Niacin. That showed me I was on the right track and this should probably be investigated more thoroughly.

you are in a very interesting path. could be game changing for a lot of people. My guess would be any stressful situation causes a depletion of Bs, which leads to these problems, which then lead to greater deficiencies because these problems prevent absorption. Very scary cycle to be in. Also makes sense why people go 20-30-40 years being “healthy” and their entire life can be derailed by a couple stressful situations.
 
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charlie

charlie

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My guess would be any stressful situation causes a depletion of Bs, which leads to these problems, which then lead to greater deficiencies because these problems prevent absorption. Very scary cycle to be in. Also makes sense why people go 20-30-40 years being “healthy” and their entire life can be derailed by a couple stressful situations.
Exactly! I have seen over and over many people on the SIBO forums can track back that their SIBO started around the time of a stressful situation. After a surgery, or car accident, family death, etc etc. Bingo bongo! B's depleted, proper breakdown of food stops happening from low stomach acid, bacteria start to proliferate and the vicious cycle ensues.
 
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charlie

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@charlie great thread my friend
:hattip

Check out this post I just found on reddit of a female who used niacin along with other vitamins to cure her IBS that she suffered with for 10 years.

I've been suffering from IBS for 10 years now. It started after I had my first child. I have been following this sub for a while now and reading your stories and even trying some of your suggestions. So I felt compelled to share my cure since I never thought I'd find anything to make this better. About a month ago, I watched a documentary on Netflix called "Food Matters." There was a Doctor on it talking about how everyone should take their multivitamins and all the benefits of niacin. I have never been able to take a multivitamin because they make me nauseous. I was determined to find a way though. After going to Target I discovered gummy multivitamins for adults. I compared labels and finally settled on the vitafusion Women's, energy, metabolism and bone support. I also bought niacin 500mg and calcium 600mg with vitamin D target brand. I took 2 gummy vitamins as recommended every morning along with my niacin and calcium. I then took one more gummy in the evening along with another niacin and calcium tablet. That was a month ago and I've not had 1 IBS episode since. Even when I've ate my triggers (coffee, greasy foods, and soda), still nothing. I am overjoyed and feel human again. May not work for everyone but it has been my miracle.
Source
 

Inaut

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@GorillaHead also mentioned niacin helping his IBS I believe. I suggested my friend with Crohn’s do some investigation as well.

Thanks again
 
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charlie

charlie

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@GorillaHead also mentioned niacin helping his IBS I believe. I suggested my friend with Crohn’s do some investigation as well.
Yes @GorillaHead was one of the clues that helped put this theory together for me.

Please let us know how your friend comes along!
 
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