Depression and Anxiety Could be Symptoms of One Simple Deficiency

Many who have suffered from depression, anxiety, and other “mental disorders” are told they have a mysterious “chemical imbalance” in the brain, but what if these conditions are only symptoms of a nutritional deficiency?

Numerous clinical studies have shown that deficiencies in Vitamin B3 (also known as niacin) are sometimes to blame for a variety of “mental conditions” and “cognitive deficits.”

Niacin and Mental Health

Niacin plays a key role in the production of serotonin – an important neurotransmitter that helps the brain. This is why researchers have been studying the effects of Vitamin B3 deficiencies on human mental health for over 50 years. The results have been overwhelmingly positive for niacin supplementation as a treatment to alleviate symptoms of mental disorders.

A few of the “mental health disorders” that have shown improvement with niacin supplementation are:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Bipolar disorder
• Panic disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Age-related loss of thinking skills
• Chronic brain syndrome

Vitamin B3 for Heart Health

In addition to its role in mental health, niacin also performs several functions that affect blood circulation, cholesterol, and heart health. A few of these include:

• Reducing high blood cholesterol levels
• Improving circulation
• Increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) by 20-35%
• Decreasing small low-density lipoprotein (small LDL) particles – an important yet under-appreciated cause of heart disease
• Lowering triglycerides by 30%
• Avoiding hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
• Reducing the risk of a second heart attack in men with heart or circulatory disorders

Other Functions

Consuming sufficient levels of niacin is important for many other health conditions as well, such as:

• Treatment and prevention of niacin deficiency, including certain conditions related to niacin deficiency such as pellagra
• Osteoarthritis, joint flexibility, and the pain and swelling of joints
• Digestive difficulties with fats and sugars
• Diarrhea from cholera infection
• Diabetes, types 1 and 2
• Cataracts of the eyes
• Niacin deficiency caused by poor diet, alcoholism, and some types of slow-growing tumors

Where to Find It

The best natural sources of Vitamin B3 are brewer’s yeast, liver, and kidneys, but it can also be found in eggs, meats, poultry, legumes, nuts, and some dairy products. If you’d like to try niacin as a possible method for alleviating the symptoms of mental distress, emotional problems, or heart conditions, then additional dietary supplements may be helpful.

Find all-natural niacin supplements in the Living Clean Store, or read more on the Vitamin B Complex:

• Vitamin B2 for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers
• Vitamin B1 Deficiency May be the Cause of Your Exhaustion
• An Introduction to the Vitamin B Complex

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