New study says vitamin B3 added to processed foods is linked to an increase risk for heart disease
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A vitamin that's added to many processed food items is linked to increased risk for heart disease, according to new research. This research is the first to document harms linked to an excessive amount of vitamin B3, which is in many fortified products.
Most cereal, flour, breads and processed foods are fortified with vitamin B3, which is niacin.
It's also found in meat, fish and nuts.
New research from Cleveland Clinic shows getting too much can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease.
"What we found is that people who are in the top 25% of the population are getting too much and they're making, as a result, some of these excess break down metabolite products that normally wouldn't even be seen in a healthy diet that was natural," Dr. Stanley Hazen of Cleveland Clinic said.
Hazen, who led the research, said it showed too much niacin can lead to an excess of a specific kind of metabolite, which triggers inflammation that can damage blood vessels.
Because our bodies don't create enough B3 on their own, since the 1940s, the U.S. has required niacin to be added to foods like cereal, flour and oats to help prevent vitamin B3 deficiency.
But Hazen said because so many people eat processed food now, they're getting too much niacin. He hopes the new research will help change that.
"One thing is it improves diagnostic tests to identify who is at risk for disease and needs to be the focus of where preventative efforts go," he said. "The second is by understanding it's involved, now we can do the process of how do we intervene on this pathway."
Hazen said his research shows that people should try to eat more whole foods and limit or avoid processed items. He also recommends not taking any supplements that have niacin in them.