Will Niacin Cure Mental Illness?

Since a deficiency of vitamin B3 or niacin causes pellagra which is characterized by mental disturbances, practitioners of orthomolecular medicine or megavitamin advocates believe that large doses of niacin can treat schizophrenia.

A careful review made by the American Psychiatric Association in the 1970s showed that this was not the case and it has deplored this practice. Later, the Research Advisory Committee of the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health and the Canadian Mental Health Association followed suit after studying the claims made by orthomolecular psychiatrists.

"Scientific evaluation of nicotinic acid as a treatment for schizophrenia concludes that improvement claimed by purveyors of the megavitamin therapies resulted not from the vitamins but from the conventional therapy (drugs and/or psychotherapy) given at the same time," said Drs. Harold M. Silverman, Joseph A. Romano and Garry Elmer in "The Vitamin Book: A No-Nonsense Consumer Guide."

Niacin is also being promoted as a cure for high cholesterol levels. While this is true under close medical supervision, self-medication and the unrealistic recommendations of orthomolecular advocates can have disastrous results on your health.

"Troublesome side effects often occur, most commonly the 'niacin flush' -- intense reddening and itching of the face and upper body that usually diminishes after several weeks. High-dose niacin can also cause gastrointestinal upset, abnormal liver function tests, elevated blood-sugar levels and, rarely, aerial fibrillation (rapid beating of the heart)," said Dr. Stephen Barrett, a psychiatrist, prize-winning author, consumer advocate and board member of the National Council Against Health Fraud Inc. (NCAHF) in "Health Schemes, Scams and Frauds" published by Consumer Reports Books.

Another vitamin that's being abused by megavitamin proponents is vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) which is being prescribed for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). This refers to a set of symptoms that begin seven to 14 days prior to menstruation. Such symptoms include nervousness and irritability, dizziness, emotional instability, headaches, bloating, diarrhea, and tender, swollen breasts which have been linked to hormone changes in the body during menstruation.

Orthomolecular advocates think this can be prevented by taking massive doses of vitamin B6 in spite of the fact that no conclusive evidence exists supporting this practice. Furthermore, the risks far outweigh the potential benefits of pyridoxine supplementation.

"During the past few years, medical journals have reported more than 100 cases of toxicity from B6 supplementation, resulting in a condition called peripheral neuritis. The reported symptoms, some of which resembled those of multiple sclerosis, included numbness and tingling in the hands, difficulty in walking, and electric shocks shooting down the spine," Barrett revealed.

"Many medications and techniques have been tried for PMS -- ranging from megavitamins to biofeedback -- but none has had much success. A possible reason is that more than 150 different symptoms have been associated with PMS. Despite a fair amount of clinical investigation, its cause remains unclear," he added. (Next: Will vitamin B12 give you energy?)

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