Vitamin B3 May Help Kill Superbugs

Medical News Today (MNT) ^ | August 25, 2012 | Catharine Paddock, PhD

[CutePuppy]

Nicotinamide, commonly known as vitamin B3, may help the innate immune system kill antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria, the so-called "superbugs". In lab work done with mice and human blood, researchers found high doses of the vitamin increased the ability of immune cells to kill the bacteria by 1,000 times.

The discovery opens the door to a new arsenal of tools for dealing with antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, such as those caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus or MRSA, that have killed thousands of people around the world. They are increasing in hospitals and nursing homes, and also rising in prisons, among athletes, people in the military, and other places where many people are in close and frequent contact.

The team members behind the work are from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University (OSU), the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and other research centers. They write about it in a paper published online this week in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. ..... < snip >

..... Potential for Use with Antibiotics ..... < snip >

..... "It's a way to tap into the power of the innate immune system and stimulate it to provide a more powerful and natural immune response," ..... < snip >

..... Some believe the widespread use of antibiotics, coupled with mismanagement of their doses, creates an evolutionary pressure that helps increase the emergence and spread of resistant strains. ..... < snip >

..... Gene Mutation Causes Vulnerability to Bacterial Infection ..... < snip >

..... nicotinamide can "switch on" some of the disabled anti-microbial genes ..... < snip >

..... The researchers found that in human blood, vitamin B3 was able to wipe out the staph infection in a few hours. ..... < snip >

..... "This vitamin is surprisingly effective in fighting off and protecting against one of today's most concerning public health threats."

Approaches like this could help reduce dependence on antibiotics, he added.

The doses used in the study were megadoses, at therapeutic levels, which are much much bigger than the amount of vitamin B3 in a normal diet. However, such levels have been used safely in humans for other medical reasons.

But this fact, together with the findings of this study, are not sufficient reason for people to start medicating themselves with high doses of vitamin B3. ..... < snip >

[bert]

I have been taking 2000 units per day slow acting niacin for years as prescribed
The immunity angle. Death in a hospital or later from infection is very likely

[bert]

dissolve some borax in dilute karo syrup and they will collect it and die

[PoloSec]

My doctor prescribed Niaspan (prescription Vit B3) to manage cholesterol, it is good to know this information about other effects.

Eating a light snack before taking it will reduce the flushing, but after I have been taking it for awhile I hardly notice the effect anymore.

If you like the flushing effect, take it on an empty stomach and bite the pill breaking it up...Holi Mackerel Der Andy...

[CutePuppy]

My doctor prescribed Niaspan (prescription Vit B3) to manage cholesterol

Yes, niacin is usually prescribed to increase HDL and decrease total cholesterol levels, often simultaneously with the course of statins.

Eating a light snack before taking it will reduce the flushing...
If you like the flushing effect, take it on an empty stomach and bite the pill breaking it up...

Getting "high" on niacin raised to an art form! Kudos, sir, you know how to party!