In school, one of my teachers brought up the idea of how you can do a niacin flush to help eliminate stored toxins and chemicals in your body. Today I decided to give it a go, so I could provide my own personal experience, along with the added benefits and side effects that result from doing one.

I did some research regarding the cleanse, while looking through my textbooks for added information on niacin, commonly known as vitamin B3.

Niacin (B3)

B3 is important for energy production, cellular integrity and blood formation. It plays a part in the nervous system and has been found to be effective in certain mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia.

Deficiencies are not common, because you can get your daily requirement through food such as eggs, peanuts, turkey, chicken and mushrooms. The standard daily requirement is 10 to 100 mg. Although, all bodies are different and what could be a normal amount for someone, might not be a normal amount for someone else.

Possible Signs of Deficiency

• Sore tongue
• Smooth tongue
• Swelling of mouth
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Skin disorders
• Mental confusion
• Loss sense of humor
• Canker sores in mouth (this can also be from consuming to many acidic foods)
• Insomnia
• Dermatitis on both sides of the body and becomes worse when exposed to the sun **”Derma” is correlated with skin and “titis” is correlated with inflammation, so meaning inflammation of the skin.

Effects of deficiency is commonly known as Pellagra and is characterized by the 3D’s: dermatitis, dementia and diarrhea.

Niacin Flush 

Toxins and excess hormones are stored in the body through fat and the brain. Fat can even produce its own hormones, which can have an effect on a person’s reproductive system if an over abundance of hormones are circulating in the body. A niacin flush is a good way at mobilizing these toxins through the combination of a B3 vitamin, exercise and a sauna. A niacin flush is completely harmless, because niacin is water soluble and anything above your body’s requirements will be flushed out through the kidneys. Niacin works by dilating the blood vessels to increase flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body, which will give a person a red flushed look (exactly what happened to me). Since the blood vessels are dilating, an individual will feel a slight tingling sensation all over the body, along with the skin taking on a red appearance, and warm to the touch. This is normal. I used the brand Natural Factors and it is important to buy the nicotinic acid and not the niacinamide one, because nicotinic acid is what has the flush effect.

Steps To Completing One

1. Exercise
2. I took one 500 mg tablet of a B3 vitamin 30 minutes before entering the sauna
3. I spent 30 minutes in the sauna before getting out

Symptoms I Experienced

• Itchy
• Tingling sensation all over my body
• Skin became a blotchy red look, before going completely red in the face, chest, arms and legs
• The symptoms only lasted 30 minutes before they slowly started to subside

When I got home I made sure to drink one glass of filtered water to help restore lost fluids and took a cool/warm shower to eliminate all toxins from the skin that I had sweat out. Also, I believe the cool water helped reduce the redness from my skin a lot quicker. It is important to drink plenty of water throughout the day, so one does not become dehydrated. As well, sweating will result in a loss of minerals and some vitamins, so re-hydrating the body with electrolytes, magnesium and potassium would be beneficial. Coconut water is an excellent option, because it contains natural electrolytes, along with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients.

**It is important not to drink tap water, as tap water contains chloride and fluoride.

Once the redness, tingling and itchy symptoms subsided, I became quite tired at one point and made sure to take a nap. Whenever someone is going through a detox, a common symptom is fatigue or tiredness. This is normal, because your body is working hard to eliminate unwanted substances from the body. If you feel tired, listen to your body, it is telling you what it needs.

xo

Mindful Harts.