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Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
Andrographis vs Niacin: they're closely matched on evidence (7 vs 6/10); they're alternatives for inflammation-related symptoms — the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
Andrographis and Niacin are closely matched across evidence, studies, and safety.
Verdict
Likely helps
3 of 4 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
Verdict
Probably helps
6 of 11 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
400mg extract (standardized to 10-30% andrographolides), 3x daily for acute use
At first sign of cold symptoms, With meals
Standardized extract (10-30% andrographolides)
500-2000mg daily for lipid effects; 50-500mg for general health (the cited trials used 1,500 to 2,000 mg a day, none used 50 to 500 mg)
With food (reduces flush), Evening for lipid effects, Split doses for high amounts
Immediate-release niacin (nicotinic acid)
2-5 days
2-5 days
2-5 days
4-8 weeks
4-8 weeks
30-60 minutes after dose
Herbal Medicines for the Treatment of Active Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Nutrients (2024) · Meta analysis
In pooled analyses, when compared with placebo, clinical response rates were significantly higher for Indigo naturalis (IN) (RR 3.70, 95% CI 1.97-6.95), but not for Curcuma longa (CL) (RR 1.60, 95% CI 0.99-2.58) or Andrographis paniculata (AP) (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.71-1.26).
Safety of Andrographis paniculata: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety (2021) · Meta analysis
Incidence of serious AEs was very rare with the pooled incidence (95% CI) from RCTs of 0.02 per 1000 patients (0.0-0.5).
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study to assess the efficacy of Andrographis paniculata standardized extract (ParActin®) on pain reduction in subjects with knee osteoarthritis
Phytotherapy research : PTR (2019) · Rct · n=103
Patients treated with 300 or 600 mg/day of ParActin® showed a significant reduction in pain at days 28, 56, and 84 compared with a placebo group.
Niacin for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (2017) · Meta analysis · n=39195
23 RCTs published between 1968 and 2015 with 39,195 participants were included. The median dose of niacin was 2 g/day.
Effect of lipid-lowering therapies on lipoprotein(a) levels: a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Atherosclerosis (2025) · Meta analysis · n=145314
145,314 subjects from 147 RCTs were included.
A terminal metabolite of niacin promotes vascular inflammation and contributes to cardiovascular disease risk
Nature medicine (2024) · Cohort
In a discovery cohort of 1,162 stable cardiac patients, niacin metabolism was associated with incident major adverse cardiovascular events.
Two placebo-controlled trials of the same standardised extract (KalmCold, also sold as AP-Bio). At 200 mg a day, 223 adults with an uncomplicated upper respiratory infection had lower overall symptom scores than placebo by day 5 (PMID 20092985). In a 300-person trial of 200 or 400 mg a day for 7 days, both doses lowered symptom scores on day 3 by the same amount, with no difference on days 5 and 7, and no participant reported adverse physical symptoms (PMID 36842634). 400 mg was no better than 200 mg, so the curve is flat and no optimal dose is given. The respiratory infection meta-analysis (PMID 28783743) reports symptom benefits but no doses, so it is not plotted.
AI-estimated from published studies. Interpret as directional guidance.
Both Andrographis and Niacin are closely matched — the best choice depends on your specific health goals.
For inflammation-related symptoms, Andrographis has a higher relevance score (70 vs 60).
No documented interaction was found in the data searched. This does not establish that this exact combination is safe.
The right pick depends on your goals. Answer a few quick questions for a personalised recommendation — or dig into the full evidence on each.