A HOFFER Review Niacin The Real Story

Niacin: The Real Story
by A Hoffer, PhD, MD, A Saul, PhD and H Foster, PhD, 2012, Basic Health, CA
Abram Hoffer, Andrew Saul and Harold beriberi. In the 1940s, physicians
Foster wrote Niacin: The Real Story to prescribed vitamins for a range of
inform the public that niacin (vitamin problems. Abram Hoffer read their
B3) has a broad spectrum of healing research and clinical reports in the 1930s
properties. Decades of research and and 1940s when he was studying for a
clinical practice taught Dr. Hoffer that PhD in biochemistry. He learned about
optimum doses of niacin can treat metabolism and enzymes. For instance,
mental, cardiovascular, arthritic and enzymes need co-factors - vitamins,
other illnesses. When he prescribed trace minerals and other essential
vitamins, many patients recovered. nutrients to function properly.
Hoffer, Saul and Foster’s book explains With a PhD in biochemistry and research
what niacin is, when niacin therapy experience, Abram Hoffer became a
began, how niacin works, why we need physician in 1949, then a psychiatrist.
more niacin, how to take niacin and why He saw many psychotic patients in the
niacin is safe. It introduces doctors who 1950s. At that time, there were no
prescribe niacin and other vitamins and helpful treatments for serious mental
references their books. During his 60- illnesses. Few patients recovered.
year career, Dr. Hoffer gave niacin to Careful reading taught Dr. Hoffer that
thousands of patients. His finding? vitamins can restore health, especially if
Niacin helped patients feel better and patients have nutritional deficiencies or
live longer. This book provides research metabolic disorders. Hoffer and Osmond
reports and recovery stories which reasoned that an uncommon disorder of
justify the clinical use of niacin for adrenalin metabolism could cause
mental illness and cardiovascular psychosis. They performed the first
problems and niacinamide for arthritis. double-blind placebo-controlled
A long chapter outlines how patients experiments in psychiatry and
with 25 other health problems also discovered that an optimum dose of
respond well to vitamin B3 therapy. niacin helped 75% of psychotic patients
recover from acute schizophrenia. In
The only cautionary note concerns 1954, Hoffer and other researchers
niacin’s harmless and noticeable but discovered that a daily dose of niacin
short-lived flush effect. After a week or can lower cholesterol.
so, patients who take niacin every day
will flush much less. Abram Hoffer Dr. Hoffer spent 60 years diagnosing
learned about the flush by taking niacin metabolic aspects of mental disorders
himself, for 55 years! and complementing other treatments
with vitamins. Thousands of patients
Decades before Abram Hoffer became a recovered. He co-founded and developed
physician, other researchers discovered orthomolecular medicine as a restorative
vitamins. Doctors gradually learned that dimension of care. To educate the
vitamin therapy can treat deficiency public, Abram Hoffer wrote prolifically
diseases such as scurvy, pellagra and about vitamins, research and clinical
applications. Mainstream medicine encouraged patients to eat nutritious
dismissed vitamin therapy without diets and eliminate trigger foods. He
reading Hoffer’s books or research taught a succession of doctors how to
reports. Perhaps busy doctors merely diagnose schizophrenia and prescribe
assumed that vitamins could not possibly optimum doses of vitamins.
heal psychosis.
Abram Hoffer died in 2009 at age 91.
Meanwhile, year after year, His legacy left the world more than 35
pharmaceutical manufacturers books and hundreds of articles, reviews
synthesized hundreds of compounds, and editorials which explain that vitamin
researched their efficacy and promoted B3 (niacin and/or niacinamide) can
their use. Prescription drug-making complement other treatments, including
became the most profitable industry in prescription medications. Niacin: The
history. Marketing campaigns taught Real Story, his last book, outlines Dr.
physicians to prescribe a growing list of Hoffer’s research, discoveries and
pills which affect the human body in recommendations. His references and
many ways. Advertising copywriters recovery stories support Hoffer’s
implied that the benefits of synthetic concept that vitamin therapy can help to
chemicals offset the risks and side restore health. His scientific memoirs
effects. Drug sales skyrocketed. Of Adventures in Psychiatry (2005) detail
course medications work. Prescription Dr. Hoffer’s research, progress and
drugs do save lives. Unfortunately, as success using vitamins to treat
the years passed, many health schizophrenia. How to Live with
professionals focused on medications Schizophrenia (1966), written by Hoffer
and never learned about vitamin therapy. and Osmond helped many patients and
their families find better quality care. It
Dr. Hoffer noticed that patients taking still reads fresh and clear today.
prescription antipsychotics continued to
have symptoms. These pills caused If you have a chronic health problem,
serious side effects. However, when such as schizophrenia, you can read
Hoffer prescribed niacin, most patients Niacin: The Real Story and learn for
got well. After learning that biochemical yourself how vitamin B3 therapy can
individuality, food allergies and complement other treatments, safely and
sensitivities can also affect patients who effectively. Abram Hoffer and his
have underlying deficiencies, disorders co-authors write so clearly that patients,
or diseases, Abram Hoffer developed the families, caregivers and health
HOD diagnostic test and customized professionals can easily understand that
treatment programs by adding other niacin has a broad spectrum of
vitamins, minerals and amino acids. He wonderful healing properties.
Review by Robert Sealey, BSc, CA

Author of Finding Care for Depression, Mental Episodes & Brain Disorders
www.searpubl.ca

A HOFFER Review Niacin The Real Story

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

A HOFFER Review Niacin The Real Story

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Niacin: The Real Story

Review by Robert Sealey, BSc, CA

You might also like