lifecouldbedream
Student
- Oct 8, 2021
- 144
In the 1960s Dr. Abram Hoffer studied megadose vitamin therapy by treating patients with doses of Niacin in the form of both nicotinic acid and niacinamide for both mental ailments and physical ones such as arthritis. Ailments he was successfully able to treat ranged from psychosis to early stage Alzheimer's. He reports an elderly man nearly completely getting his memory back by taking 3 grams of niacin per day. He was also supposedly able to treat schizophrenic patients with niacin in doses ranging from 3 to 6 grams per day and made their psychosis much more controllable; hospital visits were significantly reduced, and if they did happen they were significantly shorter. Furthers studying on megadose niacin therapy suggests that it treats depression and anxiety as well. Today an equal dose of vitamin C alongside the niacin is used to promote antioxidant properties, and protect the liver. Nicotinic acid is used more than niacinamide as it seems to have more activity on reducing blood cholesterol levels and lessened risk of side effects. However if you use this form you will likely experience an intense flush across your body; this is a harmless prostaglandin response and you will eventually stop feeling it after a week or two of use. Benefits can be seen from doses as low as 100mg all the way up to 10,000mg in extreme cases. Although the ideal range seems to be 3,000 to 6,000 mg a day.
It isn't a magic bullet however, and has a risk of some side effects. It's been speculated that nicotinic acid causes some form of harm to the liver, although it seems to be highly unlikely that there is a correlation between liver damage and chronic niacin use. However if you use extended release niacin it seems to be harmful to the liver. There does seem to be a correlation between chronic niacin use and insulin resistance however, and it will also lower your blood sugar so you need to keep your diet in check and stop taking niacin if you find yourself to be developing significant insulin resistance. It does not seem to be very common but can happen.
I believe if you are desperate to find ways of treating your mental ailments, this is something to try.
It isn't a magic bullet however, and has a risk of some side effects. It's been speculated that nicotinic acid causes some form of harm to the liver, although it seems to be highly unlikely that there is a correlation between liver damage and chronic niacin use. However if you use extended release niacin it seems to be harmful to the liver. There does seem to be a correlation between chronic niacin use and insulin resistance however, and it will also lower your blood sugar so you need to keep your diet in check and stop taking niacin if you find yourself to be developing significant insulin resistance. It does not seem to be very common but can happen.
I believe if you are desperate to find ways of treating your mental ailments, this is something to try.
