9 Health Benefits of Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Food Sources and Deficiency

One of the eight forms of B vitamins that are vital for every part of your body is niacin. They are found in nuts, seafood, and meat. Supplements are occasionally a possibility, but you should consult with the doctor first.

Water-soluble B vitamin niacin, often known as vitamin B3, is added to food, present naturally in some foods, and available as a supplement. Nicotinic acid and nicotinamide are the two types of niacin that are most frequently found in food and supplements. The amino acid tryptophan can also be converted by the body into nicotinamide. Because niacin is soluble in water, the body excretes excess levels that are unnecessary in the urine. Over 400 different enzymes in the body rely on niacin as a coenzyme for different kinds of reactions. In addition to producing cholesterol and lipids, repairing and creating new DNA, and generating energy from foods, niacin also has antioxidant properties. 

Niacin supplements provide many benefits including the potential to reduce cholesterol, relieve arthritis, and improve brain function.

However, if you consume big dosages, it might potentially have detrimental effects.

What is Niacin?

One of the eight B vitamins, niacin is also referred to as vitamin B3.

Niacin comes in two primary chemical forms:

nicotinamide, also known as nicotinic acid niacinamide,

Foods include both types, as do supplements.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), coenzymes involved in approximately 400 metabolic activities in your body, primarily related to acquiring energy from food, are synthesized by your body through the important role of niacin.

Since niacin dissolves in water, your body does not retain it. This implies that if excess vitamin is not required, your body can eliminate it through urine.

Also Read: 11 Health Benefits of Vitamin B complex, Dosage, Food Sources and Side Effects

Health Benefits:

1-Lowers Blood Fat Levels:

By raising your HDL (good) cholesterol, niacin may help lower your blood fat levels.

lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol in your body

lowering your blood cholesterol

This could result in a lower risk of heart disease, yet numerous studies have not discovered any connection between supplementing with niacin and a lower risk of heart disease or death from heart disease.

Additionally, niacin must be taken at high doses—1,500 mg or more—to enhance blood fat levels, which raises the possibility of unpleasant or dangerous side effects.

Niacin is not a recommended first treatment for high cholesterol because of these factors. Its main application is to assist lower blood fat levels in those who are intolerant to statin medications.

2-May Reduce Blood Pressure:

Prostaglandins are molecules that assist your blood arteries in widening, increasing blood flow, and lowering blood pressure. One function of niacin is to release these compounds. Niacin may therefore be useful in treating or preventing of high blood pressure.

Researchers discovered that every 1 mg increase in daily niacin intake was linked to a 2% reduction in the risk of high blood pressure in an observational study including over 12,000 participants. The lowest overall risk high blood pressure was observed at a daily niacin intake of 14.3 to 16.7 mg per day.

Additionally, niacin single dosages of 100 mg and 500 mg were found to marginally lower right ventricular systolic pressure in a high-quality study.

3-May Help in the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes:

An autoimmune condition known as type 1 diabetes causes your body to target and kill the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin.

According to a study, niacin may help shield those cells and may even reduce the likelihood of type 1 diabetes in kids who are more likely to get the illness.

However, niacin's function is more nuanced in those who have type 2 diabetes.

On the one hand, it can assist in reducing the elevated cholesterol levels that type 2 diabetics frequently experience. Conversely, there is a chance that it will raise blood sugar levels. Therefore, those with diabetes who take niacin to lower their cholesterol also need to keep a close eye on their blood sugar levels.

Fortunately, a more recent analysis of research revealed that niacin did not significantly impair the control of blood sugar in those with type 2 diabetes.

4-May Reduce the Chance of Heart Problems:

Vitamin B3 helps maintain a healthy balance of cholesterol and triglycerides and is also beneficial for heart health since it can lessen atherosclerosis, the harmful artery hardening that can result in coronary heart disease.

By lowering blood levels of low-density lipoproteins, one of the main risk factors for heart disease, vitamin B3 can help patients who have already experienced cardiac arrest or heart disease—including those who have had a previous heart attack—reduce their chance of experiencing another episode. Men with high lipoprotein saw reductions in lipoprotein levels in one 24-week experiment when given high-dose, extended-release niacin.

5-Enhances Brain Performance:

As a component of the coenzymes NAD and NADP, niacin is necessary for your brain to obtain energy and perform as intended.

Niacin deficiency has been linked to brain dullness and even psychiatric disorders.

Because niacin helps repair brain cells damaged by niacin deficiency, it can be used to treat some types of schizophrenia.

According to a preliminary study, it may also support brain health in Alzheimer's disease patients. However, the outcomes are not entirely consistent.

 6-Enhances the Condition of the Skin:

When niacin is applied topically or taken orally, it helps shield skin cells from UV damage.

It might also aid in the prevention of some forms of skin cancer. Taking 500 mg of nicotinamide twice daily lowered risks of nonmelanoma skin cancer when compared to a control group, according to a high-quality study involving over 300 participants at high risk of developing skin cancer.

7-Promotes Joint Health:

Niacinamide, a type of vitamin B3, has been shown in some studies to be useful in promoting joint mobility. Indeed, research has shown that higher niacin intake may be linked to fewer instances of joint discomfort as well as reduced inflammation brought on by diseases like osteoarthritis.

Many people taking niacinamide can lessen their use of typical painkillers or arthritis drugs because prescribed high dosages of niacinamide have been shown in trials to increase flexibility and reduce edema.

Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, niacin is typically administered in large doses as a therapy for osteoarthritis or bone and joint pain. Inflammation reduction can aid in the alleviation of arthritis symptoms and aid in the regeneration of joint cartilage, which is essential for strength and mobility.

8-It may Help with Migraine Management:

Although the exact mechanism by which niacin exerts its therapeutic effects is unknown, it may help prevent and treat tension- and migraine-type headaches. By causing the cerebral arteries to widen and the extracranial vessels to contract, niacin may be able to reduce migraine symptoms.

9-It Helps with Digestion: 

Since vitamin B3 aids in the conversion of nutrients like carbohydrates and lipids into energy, niacin is excellent for the digestive system. A person with a niacin deficiency may eventually develop gastrointestinal issues and have difficulty digesting food. 

 How much Should Individuals Consume Niacin?

Given the variety of applications for niacin, consult your healthcare professional to determine the appropriate dosage.

For the body to operate normally, everyone needs a specific amount of niacin, which can be obtained by food or supplements. The earlier and more well-known RDA (recommended daily allowance) is being replaced with the term "dietary reference intake" (DRI), which refers to this quantity. The DRIs for niacin are expressed in milligrams of niacin equivalents and change based on age and other factors: 

Children: depending on age, 2–16 milligrams per day

Men: 16 mg per day

Women: 14 milligrams per day

Pregnant women: take 18 mg per day

Women who are nursing: 17 milligrams per day

Adults of all ages may consume up to 35 milligrams per day.

Food Sources:

Niacin is present in numerous diets, both plant- and animal-based, making a deficiency uncommon.

• Beef, beef liver
• Chickens
• Fish
• Grains of brown rice
• Breads and cereals fortified
• Seeds and nuts
• Legumes
• Bananas 
• Egg

Deficiency:

Because niacin is added to many foods and multivitamins, and because it is well-absorbed from most foods (save for some cereal grains where niacin is bonded to its fibers, reducing the absorption). A significant deficit of niacin results in pellagra, a disorder that produces a bright red tongue, constipation/diarrhea, and the development of a dark, occasionally scaly rash on skin areas exposed to sunlight. Other indications of a significant niacin shortage consist of:

• Depression
• Delusions
• Rash or discoloration on the skin
• Bright red tongue 
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Loss of memory
• Appetite decline

Having said that, most Western nations have very low rates of insufficiency. The most vulnerable group is those who are malnourished, which might result from poverty, anorexia nervosa, liver failure, alcoholism, HIV/AIDS, or other illnesses.

Pellagragra, or severe niacin deficiency, is more common in underdeveloped nations with less diverse diets. Supplementing with niacinamide is one way to address it.

Toxicity:

Niacin-containing food toxicity is uncommon, although high-dose supplementation taken over an extended period may result in toxicity. One common symptom is colored skin on the face, arms, and chest that is flushed and itchy or tingly. Taking high-dosage pills that contain nicotinic acid instead of nicotinamide is the main cause of flushing. Excessive supplementation of niacin may also raise uric acid levels, which is a risk factor for gout.

• More signs
• Dizziness
• Low BP
• Fatigued
• Headache
• Upset stomach
• Nausea
• Blurred vision