Introduction
Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, is an essential nutrient that helps the body convert food into energy. However, a new study has found that taking too much of this vitamin in the form of supplements can increase the risk of serious diseases, including cancer. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, suggest that people should be cautious when taking niacin supplements and should instead focus on getting their daily dose of vitamin B3 from natural sources. In this article, we’ll discuss the findings of the study and provide tips on how to get your daily dose of vitamin B3 without taking supplements.
Form of Vitamin B3 Can Increase the Risk of Serious Disease, Including Cancer, Researchers Find
A new study has found that a form of vitamin B3, called nicotinamide riboside (NR), can increase the risk of serious diseases, including cancer. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, suggest that people should be cautious when taking NR supplements.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Diego, looked at the effects of NR on mice. They found that mice given NR supplements had an increased risk of developing cancer, as well as other diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
The researchers believe that the increased risk is due to the fact that NR can increase the activity of certain enzymes in the body, which can lead to the development of diseases. They also suggest that NR supplements may be more dangerous than previously thought.
The findings are concerning, as NR supplements are widely available and are often marketed as a way to improve health. However, the researchers caution that people should be aware of the potential risks associated with taking NR supplements.
“Our findings suggest that NR supplements should be used with caution,” said lead author Dr. Roberta Faccio. “We recommend that people consult with their healthcare provider before taking NR supplements.”
The researchers also suggest that more research is needed to better understand the potential risks associated with NR supplements. In the meantime, they recommend that people eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods to ensure they are getting all the vitamins and minerals they need.
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a popular ingredient in many anti-aging supplements—but new research published in the Journal of Biosensors and Bioelectronics shows it could actually cause serious health conditions, including untreatable cancer. Led by Elena Goun, associate professor of chemistry at the University of Missouri, an international team of researchers used ultrasensitive bioluminescent imaging to explore the impact of high NR uptake. What they found was nothing short of alarming—high levels of NR not only increased the risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer, but the cancer was more likely to metastasize or spread to the brain, which would make it impossible to treat.
“Some people take them [vitamins and supplements] because they automatically assume that vitamins and supplements only have positive health benefits, but very little is known about how they actually work,” Goun says. “Because of this lack of knowledge, we were inspired to study the basic questions surrounding how vitamins and supplements work in the body.” Goun was inspired to develop a better understanding of the impact NR has on cancer cells after her father died of colon cancer at 59 only three months after being diagnosed. “Previous work published by other research groups have cautioned that the benefits of NR supplements should be weighed against potential negative side effects,” Goun says. “Our work is especially important given the wide commercial availability and a large number of ongoing human clinical trials where NR is used to mitigate the side effects of cancer therapy in patients.
“While NR is already being widely used in people and is being investigated in so many ongoing clinical trials for additional applications, much of how NR works is a black box — it’s not understood. So that inspired us to come up with this novel imaging technique based on ultrasensitive bioluminescent imaging that allows quantification of NR levels in real time in a non-invasive manner. The presence of NR is shown with light, and the brighter the light is, the more NR is present.”
Goun’s research highlights the importance of investigating the potentially dangerous side effects of readily available supplements that are marketed as safe, but might cause serious harm. Here are five other supplements known to cause harm to your health, according to experts. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
Weight loss supplements come under many different names—fat burners, diet pills, metabolism boosters, and so on. What they generally have in common is a lack of clinical trials and, at worst, seriously dangerous side effects. ”A product isn’t necessarily safe simply because it’s natural,” warns the Mayo Clinic. “Though rare, some dietary supplements have been linked to serious problems, such as liver damage. Supplements can have strong effects. Ephedra (ma-huang) is an herb once used for weight loss. It’s now banned by the FDA because it was associated with adverse effects, such as mood changes, high blood pressure, irregular heart rate, stroke, seizures and heart attacks. Some weight-loss supplements have been found to contain hidden ingredients, such as prescription drugs, that may be harmful.”
The May 2022 issue of AMA Journal of Ethics focuses on the potential harm of unregulated weight loss supplements. “Weight loss and management are challenging in our current environment of readily available energy-dense foods and a sedentary lifestyle,” the authors wrote. “Telling the patient to ‘eat less and exercise more’ does not work. Almost any diet that reduces energy intake will produce weight loss if followed. Explaining dynamic energy balance and the many factors that contribute to one’s body weight will help reduce patients’ guilt about past weight loss failures. Clinicians should emphasize moderate, achievable weight loss and health goals and the importance of lifelong healthy lifestyle changes over quick, dramatic weight loss.”
Caffeine pills can be very dangerous if taken in excess. “Pure and highly concentrated caffeine products present a significant public health threat and have contributed to at least two deaths in the United States,” says the FDA. “In recent years, dietary supplement products consisting of pure or highly concentrated caffeine in powder and liquid forms have emerged on the market. These products are often marketed in bulk packaging with up to thousands of servings per container, requiring the consumer to measure out a safe serving from what can be a toxic or even lethal amount of bulk product.”
People may not realize that what might seem to be a tiny amount of powder could cause serious harm. “The difference between a safe amount and a toxic or life-threatening amount of caffeine in these highly concentrated products is very small,” the FDA statement continues. “Safe quantities of these products can be difficult or nearly impossible to measure accurately with common kitchen measuring tools. For many of these products, volume measures such as teaspoons are not precise enough to calculate how many milligrams of caffeine are in the recommended serving size. These products are also often sold in ways that increase the likelihood of accidental measurement error. Just one teaspoon of pure powdered caffeine can contain the same amount of caffeine as 28 cups of coffee, and a half cup of a liquid highly concentrated caffeine product contains the equivalent of more than 20 cups of coffee. These are toxic amounts that can have serious health consequences.
The FDA recently warned against over 50 male sexual enhancement/weight loss pills after discovering they contained unlisted ingredients. “The FDA purchased these products on Amazon and eBay and agency testing found that the products contain active pharmaceutical ingredients not listed on their labels, including some with ingredients found in prescription drugs,” an FDA statement reads. “These products may cause potentially serious side effects and may interact with medications or dietary supplements a consumer is taking.”
The FDA found ingredients including sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, sibutramine, desmethylsibutramine, phenolphthalein and/or fluoxetine in the supplements. “Protecting the health and safety of Americans is the FDA’s highest priority, and we will remain vigilant and communicate about products and companies that place U.S. consumers at risk,” said Donald D. Ashley, J.D., director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “While the FDA has engaged in discussions with online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay regarding these issues in the past, we believe they can do more to protect consumers from these fraudulent and potentially dangerous products. We continue to urge stores, websites and online marketplaces, like Amazon and eBay, to take appropriate steps to protect the American public by not selling or facilitating the sale of illegal FDA-regulated products.”
The FDA recently warned seven companies for selling supplements marketed as being able to prevent or treat cardiovascular disease or related conditions, including atherosclerosis, stroke, or heart failure. “Given that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., it’s important that the FDA protect the public from products and companies that make unlawful claims to treat it. Dietary supplements that claim to cure, treat, mitigate or prevent cardiovascular disease and related conditions could potentially harm consumers who use these products instead of seeking safe and effective FDA-approved treatments from qualified health care providers,” said Cara Welch, Ph.D., director of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs in the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “We encourage consumers to remain vigilant when shopping online or in stores to avoid purchasing products that could put their health at risk.”
“Studies have shown no benefit of taking multivitamins in reducing overall mortality, deaths from cardiovascular disease, or cancer-related deaths,” says Jill Jin, MD, MPH. “Similarly, studies done specifically looking at supplementation with vitamin E, vitamin D, calcium, vitamin A, beta carotene, folic acid with or without vitamin B12, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and selenium have not shown benefits in reducing overall mortality. For many supplements, though, the evidence is limited.”
The FDA is warning a manufacturer for marketing illegal flavored nicotine gummies, a product which they believe could cause immense harm to children. “Nicotine gummies are a public health crisis just waiting to happen among our nation’s youth, particularly as we head into a new school year,” says FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. “We want parents to be aware of these products and the potential for health consequences for children of all ages – including toxicity to young children and appeal of these addictive products to our youth. The FDA will not stand by as illegal products infiltrate the marketplace.”
“We remain unwavering in our use of compliance and enforcement resources to curb all unlawful marketing of tobacco products, especially those that youth could easily confuse with something that they consume regularly – like candy,” says Brian King, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “Today’s action should be a wake-up call for manufacturers of these illegal products that the FDA is actively working to identify violations and to swiftly seek corrective actions.”