PREVIEW

High Niacin Levels Linked to Heart Disease, Research Suggests. The new report was published in 'Nature Medicine' on Feb. 19, NBC News reports. According to the new research, high levels of the essential B vitamin may increase heart disease risk by causing inflammation and harming blood vessels. Niacin is found in foods such as nuts, fortified cereals, breads, meat and fish, NBC News reports. According to the Mayo Clinic, 16 milligrams of niacin per day are recommended for men, and non-pregnant women are advised to consume 14 milligrams per day. But Dr. Stanley Hazen, the study's senior author, says that 1 in 4 Americans consumes higher levels than the recommended daily allowance. "The average person should avoid niacin supplements now that we have reason to believe that taking too much niacin can potentially lead to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease." Dr. Stanley Hazen, the study's senior author, via NBC News. However, researchers have yet to determine what exactly constitutes "too much niacin". In the 1940s, scientists found that low niacin levels could lead to a condition known as pellagra, which is potentially fatal. Since then, many foods have been fortified with niacin, causing Americans to get plenty of the B vitamin in their diets. In the past, doctors also prescribed niacin to improve cholesterol levels before statins were developed, NBC News reports. "I don’t think anyone would have predicted that niacin would have been pro-inflammatory." Vanderbilt University Medical Center, via NBC News. "This is a powerful study because it combines a variety of techniques: clinical data, genetic data and mouse data." Dr. Amanda Doran, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of cardiovascular medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, via NBC News. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT