Dr. Martha Clare Morris of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois has been studying the effects of low niacin intake. The preliminary results indicate that having a very low intake of niacin can contribute to a higher risk of Alzheimer's. Her research need a lot more confirmation, and it does not mean that high levels of niacin will have a protective effect. However, the fact that niacin is something with anti-oxidant properties offers a reason why that might be expected. The study of anti-oxidant agents is becoming very important because of the central role that oxidative stress may play as a cause of Alzheimer's.