Response from Mr. Vergel
Niacin, a B vitamin, is one of the best ways to increase HDL,the good cholesterol that helps to clean your arteries. However, it is a tricky supplement to take. It can cause a "flush" in many people that makes them feel extremely hot while they itch and get red. I have had this problem and it can be very discouraging! Luckily, this side effect goes away in 20 minutes or so.
Some people swear that taking Aspirin (81 mg) 20-30 min before taking Niacin makes the flushing effect a lot easier to handle.
The usual dose is 1000-2000 mg a day. You can find it as a over the counter supplement and also as a prescription (Niaspan).
Luckily, Merck is close to getting a new drug that includes niacin and an inhibitor of this "flush"
There is strong debate about if the "non-flush" niacin is effective at all to increase HDL.
Many take niacin with a statin for better results.
As you well know, exercise can also increase HDL slightly, and so do many HIV medications. But many of us need a lot of extra help to boost our HDL since it is one of the main lipid abnormalities that we have besides high triglycerides.
If you are to start Niacin, please start with 250 mg a day and increase the dose slowly during a month.
I hope this helps!
Nelson
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