Increase Growth Hormone Levels with Niacin?

Niacin seems to be hot new thing in the height increase community despite evidence that injecting young kids with growth hormone only increases growth rate and not final adult height.    Niacin taken at 100mg per day also causes skin flushing(a pretty mild side effect that causes red skin).  Now, even though I don't think increasing growth hormone levels will result in an increase in final adult height, but as we saw with melatonin(another product recommended to height seekers but has effects other than increasing growth hormone like encouraging osteogenic differentiation of stem cells plus increasing chondrocyte levels of collagen II and SOX9) sometimes supplements recommended to height seekers for increasing growth hormone could have other height increasing effects.


Vitamins: not just for enzymes.


"Vitamins have traditionally played the role of coenzymes, organic molecules that facilitate the chemical reactions catalyzed by enzymes. However, several vitamins assume additional endocrine-like actions; this review will discuss four such vitamins. Vitamin K2 is involved in the gamma-carboxylation of coagulation factors and bone proteins, but it can also bind and activate the steroid and xenobiotic receptor in order to mediate transcription in bone tissue, and has been used to treat osteoporosis. Biotin is critical for some carboxylation reactions, but it also induces epidermal differentiation and has been used to treat lameness in animals and brittle nails in humans. Pyridoxal phosphate (the active form of vitamin B6) is involved in a multitude of reactions, including decarboxylation and transamination; it can also inhibit DNA polymerases and several steroid receptors and may prove useful as an adjunct in cancer chemotherapy. Finally, nicotinic acid is converted to NAD+ and NADP+, which are used as hydrogen/electron carriers in redox reactions. However, it also possesses vasodilatory and antilipolytic activities."

Vitamin K2 may be something worth looking into.  Niacin could result in non-GH height increase, if NAD+ is used in any reactions that increase height(it would only make you maximum height though as you'd only use as much NAD+ as you'd need).


Extracellular NAD+: a novel autocrine/paracrine signal in osteoblast physiology.


"Intercellular communication allows co-ordination of cell metabolism and sensitivity to extracellular stimuli. In bone cells, paracrine stimulation and cell-to-cell coupling through gap junctions induce the formation of complex intercellular networks, which favours the intercellular exchange of nutrients and second messengers, ultimately controlling the process of bone remodelling. The importance of local factors in bone remodelling is known since many years. Bone cells secrete and respond to a variety signals, among which include prostaglandins, cytokines, growth factors, and ATP. We here report evidence that extracellular NAD(+) is a novel extracellular signal stimulating osteoblast differentiation. We found that HOBIT human osteoblastic cells, which are known to express ADP-ribosyl cyclase/CD38 activity, respond to micromolar concentrations of extracellular NAD(+) with oscillatory increases of the cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration. The initial Ca(2+) response was followed by a time-dependent inhibition of cell growth, the appearance of an epithelial morphology, and by an increase of alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin expression. Under resting condition HOBIT cells release NAD(+) in the extracellular medium and the release is significantly potentiated by mechanical stimulation. Taken together these results point to NAD(+) as a novel autocrine/paracrine factor involved in stimulation and maintenance of the osteoblast differentiated phenotype."

Now Niacin is not technically the same as exogenous NAD+ as the negative feedback loop can stop Niacin from increasing NAD+ levels.  Niacin also increases level of ADP-Ribose.  Niacin could also help increase the GH gain from exercise.


The growth hormone response to repeated bouts of sprint exercise with and without suppression of lipolysis in men.


"A single 30-s sprint is a potent physiological stimulus for growth hormone (GH) release. However, repeated bouts of sprinting attenuate the GH response, possibly due to negative feedback via elevated systemic free fatty acids (FFA). The aim of the study was to use nicotinic acid (NA) to suppress lipolysis to investigate whether serum FFA can modulate the GH response to exercise. Seven nonobese, healthy men performed two trials, consisting of two maximal 30-s cycle ergometer sprints separated by 4 h of recovery. In one trial (NA), participants ingested NA (1 g 60 min before, and 0.5 g 60 and 180 min after sprint 1); the other was a control (Con) trial. Serum FFA was not significantly different between trials before sprint 1 but was significantly lower in the NA trial immediately before sprint 2 [NA vs. Con: mean (SD); 0.08 (0.05) vs. 0.75 (0.34) mmol/l, P < 0.05]. Peak and integrated GH were significantly greater following sprint 2 compared with sprint 1 in the NA trial [peak GH: 23.3 (7.0) vs. 7.7 (11.9) microg/l, P < 0.05; integrated GH: 1,076 (350) vs. 316 (527) microg.l(-1).60 min(-1), P < 0.05] and compared with sprint 2 in the Con trial [peak GH: 23.3 (7.0) vs. 5.2 (2.3) microg/l, P < 0.05; integrated GH: 1,076 (350) vs. 206 (118) microg.l(-1).60 min(-1), P < 0.05]. In conclusion, suppressing lipolysis resulted in a significantly greater GH response to the second of two sprints, suggesting a potential role for serum FFA in negative feedback control of the GH response to repeated exercise."

Now again Nitonic Acid or NAD+ is not the same as Niacin but it is increased by Niacin.  We don't know whether Niacin will have this same effect.  Here's the study cited on Niacin increasing Growth Hormone Levels:


Growth hormone, cortisol, and glucagon concentrations during plasma free fatty acid depression: different effects of nicotinic acid and an adenosine derivative (BM 11.189).


"Two chemically unrelated inhibitors of lipolysis were used in order to differentiate between the effect of FFA depression and a possible FFA-unrelated drug effect, respectively, on the plasma concentrations of GH, cortisol, and glucagon. Saline infusion served as a control experiment. In eight healthy male volunteers, a similar FFA depression by either iv infusion of nicotinic acid (3-pyridine-carboxylic acid, NA) or oral intake of an adenosine derivative, N(6)-allyl-N(6)-cyclohexyl-adenosine (AD-D), was followed by a significant GH increase (to 22.1 +/- 6.2 and 9.6 +/- 2.9 ng/ml at 240 and 270 min, respectively). Due to the large scatter of the GH concentrations during NA infusion, these responses were not significantly different. No GH increase occurred when the FFA depression was prevented by addition of a lipid infusion. In contrast, plasma cortisol and glucagon both increased significantly (by 107.4 micrograms/liter at 270 min and by 48.4 pg/ml at 60 min, respectively) during NA- but not during AD-D-induced FFA depression. Addition of the lipid infusion abolished the cortisol increase during NA infusion but had no influence on basal cortisol concentrations during AD-D intake. It lowered glucagon to values slightly below basal concentrations when added to the NA infusion and more markedly during AD-D administration. The results provide evidence that 1) depression of plasma FFA per se stimulates the secretion of GH, and 2) the increase of cortisol and glucagon during NA infusion is probably unrelated to the FFA depression. Hence, the stimulatory effect of FFA lack on glucagon secretion needs to be reconsidered."

Now remember iv infusion of nitonic acid was used not directly Niacin.  But Nad+ lowers free fatty acid levels which stimulates growth hormone.  Niacin has been shown to decrease free fatty acid levels so even though Niacin may not be as effective as Nad+ directly, it is still effective.  Growth Hormone may increase height in bone ends covered by periosteum like the vertebrae.  Here's a study that shows that growth hormone may increase growth from the periosteum:


Effects of local administration of growth hormone in peri-implant bone: an experimental study with implants in rabbit tibiae.


"PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative differences that could appear in newly formed peri-implant bone around Screw-Vent implants placed in rabbit tibiae when treated with local administration of growth hormone (GH). 
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups: the experimental group, which received 4 IU of GH in the form of lyophilized powder added to the ostectomy site before implant placement, and the control group, which did not receive GH before implant placement. Animals were sacrificed 2 weeks later, and histologic sections were obtained for histomorphometry and observation under light microscopy. 
RESULTS: The sections in the GH-treated group presented enhanced growth of new trabeculae from the periosteal tissue, and the bone-to-implant contact in the experimental group was significantly greater (P < .05).  
DISCUSSION: Local administration of GH stimulated a more dramatic effect than that seen previously with systemic GH administration, prompting growth from both the periosteum and endosteum. 
CONCLUSIONS: Local administration of GH at the time of implant placement could enhance peri-implant bone reaction."

The Fibrous Capsule is similar to the periosteum so growth hormones ability to stimulate the periosteum may have some supplementary effect on long bone growth as well. Niacin is also known as Vitamin B3 and is easily available such as here:TwinLab Niacin (B-3) Capsules, 1000 mg, 100-Count Bottles (Pack of 3).