Niacin (vitamin B3) is essential for your health, and the only way you can get any is from foods and supplements.

Niacin's job is to help convert food into energy and support the nervous system, and it’s available in nuts, seeds, bananas, poultry, and whole grains and is often added to cereals. The recommended daily amount is 16 mg for men and 14 mg for women. Pregnant and lactating women may need a bit more.

But you can get too much of a good thing, according to a new lab study in the journal Nature Medicine. If you’re taking in more than your body can process, you may be cranking up inflammation, damaging blood vessels, and increasing your risk for heart disease. (When patients with heart disease take niacin for their blood pressure, it may turn out to be the wrong approach.)

According to lead researcher Dr. Stanley Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute, who is also co-section head of preventive cardiology at the Heart, Vascular, and Thoracic Institute, 25% of Americans have higher than the recommended level of niacin in their bodies.

So unless your doctor tells you specifically that you are deficient or have some other identified need, skip the supplement and opt for the food sources to get the niacin you need. For the inside scoop on vitamins’ and minerals’ benefits (and risks), have fun with the tasty recipes in my "What to Cook When Cookbook."