Vitamin C Forum

confused1 wrote:Chuck, regular flush niacin has helped to lower my cholesterol. Just me, but I would give it an honest trial before something dangerous like statins. I flushed horribly in the beginning, but with regular use this diminishes. I also take fish oils, and in six months my total cholesterol dropped 40 points, hdl climbed 6 points, and triglycerides fell 30 points. I take 2000 mg. Niacin/day. I get the bulk powder and just mix it in liquids, rather than trying to swallow so many pills. You can get two pounds for around $25, which I expect to last my family roughly a year.

confused1,
Thanks for the information. How long did you take the niacin to see the results you mentioned. I will look into the bulk powder over the pills. However, my question is what/when is the best time to take it? Can it be mixed with other supplements? What is the best, empty or full stomach.
Thanks,
Chuck

I'm no expert but I take mine at night on an empty stomach with vitamin c to minimize the flush and also I figure if I fall asleep I won't notice the flush in my sleep. I really don't know if that's best or not. I've been on it about 6 months and unfortunately didn't test my numbers in between. A local grocery just started free cholesterol testing so I had it tested last week and had the decline in numbers from my last test. Couldn't tell you if it was a gradual decline or not.

ChuckArbogast wrote:I guess I didn't know if some meters/test strips were more accurate than others. That was what I was really wondering and which was the best.

Have only experience with cheap meters. And by testing along with an expensive meter at my doc's office they always showed +/- 5 mg/dl, which is more than good enough.

ChuckArbogast wrote:

confused1 wrote:How long did you take the niacin to see the results you mentioned. I will look into the bulk powder over the pills. However, my question is what/when is the best time to take it? Can it be mixed with other supplements? What is the best, empty or full stomach.

Niacin is best taken with meals (along with all other supplements taken at the same time) to avoid too strong a flush. Especially in the beginning. Also better to take it once daily, or even every second day, to avoid taxing the liver. Do monitor your liver-enzymes while on high dose niacin. Some do take it before sleep on an empty stomach, and find it helps with sleep. In my case saw results once I crossed 2 g/d. Note: bulk powder niacin till this day has been the most terrible tasting bulk powder I've ever took.

Lol, yes the taste is nothing to write home about but I think DMSO wins!

pamojja & confused1,
Thanks for the help. I ordered a meter, it was a little more expensive as it could also measure ketones just in case I want to go keto. I will also start taking niacin again working up to 2 grams every other day.

Thanks,
Chuck

ChuckArbogast wrote:I will also start taking niacin again working up to 2 grams every other day.

For working slowly up with much lower doses would use it once every day, so that you get used to the flush faster. You still can space it out later.

pamojja wrote:

ChuckArbogast wrote:I will also start taking niacin again working up to 2 grams every other day.

For working slowly up with much lower doses would use it once every day, so that you get used to the flush faster. You still can space it out later.

pamojja,
Thanks for the info. I took 1 gram the night before last and it wasn't too bad. I will probably take 1.5 grams tonight and see how I do.

Thanks,
Chuck

ChuckArbogast wrote:pamojja,
Thanks for the info. I took 1 gram the night before last and it wasn't too bad. I will probably take 1.5 grams tonight and see how I do.

Thanks,
Chuck

Chuck, if you have the time and inclination, I think you would find this blog by Dr. Malcom Kendrick most fascinating.
https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2013/09/2 ... at-matter/ This article in and of itself is not earth shattering, it's just the first one that popped up when I searched. He has a whole series on heart disease which is up to part 59. He is a noted skeptic of the cholesterol theory of heart disease, and really, I find his logic impeccable. There is a campaign about to silence critics of the cholesterol theory and doctors are being removed from Wikipedia, censured, etc. He has a comment section which is also full of good commentary, much of it provided by doctors in various related fields. He will not answer any questions about specific conditions or give specific medical advice to avoid the attacks from the rabid nuts who demonize cholesterol and saturated fats. Something about going vegan turns many into bitter harpies whose only enjoyment seems to come from destroying others. Dr. Kendrick has been removed from Wikipedia by just such a person. Anyway, I hope it provides you some useful information.

confused1 wrote:Anyway, I hope it provides you some useful information.

The 59 parts till now are very unnecessary winding going into too many details. But guess that is the nature of a blog. However, the latest is sort of a summary till now: https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/11/2 ... e-part-59/

And if one wants to read the whole serie, part I was written Jan/2016 here: https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/01/1 ... t-disease/

confused1 wrote:

ChuckArbogast wrote:pamojja,
Thanks for the info. I took 1 gram the night before last and it wasn't too bad. I will probably take 1.5 grams tonight and see how I do.

Thanks,
Chuck

Chuck, if you have the time and inclination, I think you would find this blog by Dr. Malcom Kendrick most fascinating.
https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2013/09/2 ... at-matter/ This article in and of itself is not earth shattering, it's just the first one that popped up when I searched. He has a whole series on heart disease which is up to part 59. He is a noted skeptic of the cholesterol theory of heart disease, and really, I find his logic impeccable. There is a campaign about to silence critics of the cholesterol theory and doctors are being removed from Wikipedia, censured, etc. He has a comment section which is also full of good commentary, much of it provided by doctors in various related fields. He will not answer any questions about specific conditions or give specific medical advice to avoid the attacks from the rabid nuts who demonize cholesterol and saturated fats. Something about going vegan turns many into bitter harpies whose only enjoyment seems to come from destroying others. Dr. Kendrick has been removed from Wikipedia by just such a person. Anyway, I hope it provides you some useful information.

Thanks for the link. I will take a look at it.

That was a good read.

I got my Fora 6 connect glucose/Ketone meter today. I tested it out for the first time about 1 hour after eating my last meal of the day and it read 105 mg/dL. I then waited until about 2 hours after my last meal and it read 94 mg/dL. So, it seems like that meal was ok to eat. It didn't really have much sugar content, so maybe that is why. I'm not sure if any carbs would raise it or just sugar. I am taking the measurement like they say to do by not testing the first drop of blood to make it more accurate. I hope I am doing it correctly. I plan on taking it first thing after waking in the morning before I have my Vitamin C/Lysine/Proline and then again about 1 hour after that. I normally don't eat anything for about 6 hours after waking except some calories in creamer I have in my coffee.

Just thought I would give an update.

Thanks,
Chuck

ChuckArbogast wrote: I'm not sure if any carbs would raise it or just sugar. I am taking the measurement like they say to do by not testing the first drop of blood to make it more accurate. I hope I am doing it correctly...

It is highly individual to which kind of carbs one is reacting. Also other factors, like exercising, can bring it down. Never heard of not taking the first drop of blood. Usually one uses the needle-prick on the side of a fingertip to let a drop come out and to be measured. Massaging or pushing to get the drop out could falsify the measurements. Therefore to get the blood enough liquid by itself, holding one's hand a minute under running warm water usually helps.

ChuckArbogast wrote:I tested it out for the first time about 1 hour after eating my last meal of the day and it read 105 mg/dL.

That was a good meal for you. Congratulations.

pamojja wrote:

ChuckArbogast wrote: I'm not sure if any carbs would raise it or just sugar. I am taking the measurement like they say to do by not testing the first drop of blood to make it more accurate. I hope I am doing it correctly...

It is highly individual to which kind of carbs one is reacting. Also other factors, like exercising, can bring it down. Never heard of not taking the first drop of blood. Usually one uses the needle-prick on the side of a fingertip to let a drop come out and to be measured. Massaging or pushing to get the drop out could falsify the measurements. Therefore to get the blood enough liquid by itself, holding one's hand a minute under running warm water usually helps.

ChuckArbogast wrote:I tested it out for the first time about 1 hour after eating my last meal of the day and it read 105 mg/dL.

That was a good meal for you. Congratulations.

In the manual for this device, it states the following "It is recommended that you discard the first drop of blood as it might contain
tissue fluid, which may affect the test result". So, that is what I have been doing. I have checked this on other websites as well as other devices user manual and they do not mention doing this, so I am not sure if it really makes a difference or not.
I took my morning reading before taking my Vitamin C, which was about 10.5 hours after I took my nightly Vitamin C, and it measured 98 mg/dL. I then took 10 g of Vitamin C, along with my Lysine and Proline, and measured again about 1 hour after I took the Vitamin C. At that time, it measured 102 mg/dL. So, it seems that Vitamin C might raise the glucose levels some.

I guess I could experiment to see if it makes a difference taking the first drop of blood vs taking the second drop, but I would probably need to use a different fingertip, so I am not sure if that would be a good comparison or not.

I plan on checking after my meals again today to see what those meals do to me. I don't think I will measure pre-meal though, unless you think I should.

Thanks,
Chuck

ChuckArbogast wrote:I don't think I will measure pre-meal though, unless you think I should.

Only the first morning fasting is interesting, and the highest peak after each meal. Since you already know it's lower after 2 hours, about 1 hour after eating.