"At present, niacin deficiency is sometimes seen in developed countries, and it is usually apparent in conditions of poverty, malnutrition, and chronic alcoholism. It also tends to occur in areas where people eat maize (corn, the only grain low in digestible niacin) as a staple food. & Niacin is found in variety of foods, including liver, chicken, beef, fish, cereal, peanuts and legumes, and is also synthesized from tryptophan, an essential amino acid found in most forms of protein. ... In 1955, Altschul and colleagues described niacin as having a lipid lowering property for the first time. Niacin is the oldest lipid lowering drug with unique anti atherosclerotic property. It reduces traditional parameters such as low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and triglycerides (TG), but effectively increases high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL)."

"You should not take this medication if you are allergic to niacin, or if you have severe liver disease, a stomach ulcer, or active bleeding."