PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A new study finds that vitamins added to many processed foods are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. This study is the first to document the harm associated with excessive amounts of vitamin B3 in many fortified products.

Most cereals, flours, breads, and processed foods are fortified with vitamin B3, or niacin.

It is also found in meat, fish, and nuts.

A new study from the Cleveland Clinic shows that consuming too much can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

“What we found is that people in the top 25% of the population are consuming too much, and as a result, they’re creating some of the excess breakdown metabolites that aren’t normally found in healthy people. So it was a natural diet,” said Dr. Stanley Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic.

Hazen, who led the study, said the results showed that too much niacin can lead to an excess of certain types of metabolites, which can cause inflammation and damage blood vessels.

Since the 1940s, the United States has required the addition of niacin to foods such as cereals, flour, and oats to prevent vitamin B3 deficiency because our bodies do not produce enough vitamin B3 on their own.

But Hazen said that because so many people now eat processed foods, they are getting too much niacin. He hopes new research will help change that.

“One is that we need better diagnostic tests to identify who is at risk for the disease and the focus of prevention efforts,” he said. “Secondly, by understanding what it’s involved with, we can begin to implement the process of how to intervene in this pathway.”

Hazen said his research shows that people should try to eat more whole foods and limit or avoid processed products. He also recommends not taking supplements containing niacin.