Vitamin B3 | Everything You Need to Know
There are so many different types of vitamins and minerals that it can be hard to keep track of them all. One vitamin, in particular, vitamin B3 or niacin, is especially important for a variety of reasons. Niacin helps support your body’s ability to convert food into energy, maintain healthy skin and nervous system function, regulate cholesterol levels in the bloodstream, and more! This article will cover everything you need to know about this powerful nutrient.
What is vitamin B3?
Vitamin B3 is a part of the vitamin B complex, along with other vitamins including thiamine and riboflavin. The three types of Vitamin B3 are nicotinic acid which has been studied extensively for its role in treating many conditions such as diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease by improving brain circulation; niacinamide which helps regulate blood glucose levels while also preventing nerve damage due to high cholesterol; and Inositol hexaniacinate that improves absorption rates by making it more bioavailable than regular forms.
Niacin is a type of vitamin that plays an important role in overall health. It helps to keep you looking and feeling your best by helping with the conversion of food into energy, maintaining healthy skin and nervous system function, regulating cholesterol levels in the bloodstream plus more!
There are many ways to increase your intake of Vitamin B3, niacin, or nicotinamide. You can consume more meats and organ meat, eat tuna fish on a regular basis, have an abundance of seeds in your diet like peanuts and pine nuts as well as mushrooms for the day!
Sources of vitamin B3
Niacin can be found in many foods and supplements. Foods high in vitamin B3 are beef, chicken, fish, liver, kidneys, whole grains such as wheat germ or oatmeal plus more!
| Source | Milligrams (mg) per 100g | |
|---|---|---|
 | Beef liver | 14.9 mg |
 | Chicken breast | 10.3 mg |
 | Turkey breast | 10 mg |
 | Salmon | 8.6 mg |
 | Tuna | 8.6 mg |
 | Pork | 6.3 mg |
 | Beef | 5.8 mg |
 | Brown rice | 5.2 mg |
 | Peanuts | 4.2 mg |
 | White rice | 2.3 mg |
 | Potato | 2.3 mg |
 | Sunflower seeds | 2.0 mg |
 | – Whole wheat bread – Pumpkin seeds – Soymilk – Lentils – Bulgur | 1.3 mg |
Dietary recommendations
Niacin is an important vitamin that can help you maintain optimum health and, with the right dosage, treat certain conditions. The recommended daily allowance for niacin depends on your age or weight: children should get between 2–16 milligrams per day depending on their age; men 16 mg and women 14-milligram daily doses; pregnant/breastfeeding mothers 17–18mg a day.
Keep in mind, when taking B3 from supplements, how much it will take to reach this intake of B3 vitamins. For example, high dosages of two to three grams are often used by those trying to manage cholesterol while lower doses may be enough if all one wants is healthy optimization.
When taking niacin, it is usually recommended to take it with a meal so that food can slow its absorption and prevent side effects like stomach issues. Depending on your specific needs and reason for using niacin, some providers may also recommend taking aspirin or an antihistamine along with the vitamin until you are able to tolerate high doses of the supplement. Always keep in mind that excess levels will be excreted through urine because this water-soluble vitamin does not store well, but do not exceed recommendations without consulting your physician first!
Pregnancy
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) |
|---|---|
| <19 years | 18 mg |
| >19 years | 18 mg |
Lactation
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) |
|---|---|
| <19 years | 17 mg |
| >19 years | 17 mg |
Infants
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mgRAE/day) |
|---|---|
| 0–6 months | 2 mg |
| 7–12 months | 4 mg |
Children
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) |
|---|---|
| 1–3 years | 6 mg |
| 4–8 years | 8 mg |
Females
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) |
|---|---|
| 9–13 years | 12 mg |
| 14–18 years | 14 mg |
| >19 years | 14 mg |
Males
| Life stage group | US RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) |
|---|---|
| 9–13 years | 12 mg |
| 14–18 years | 16 mg |
| >19 years | 16 mg |
Dietary supplements
Niacin is a water-soluble vitamin that is primarily obtained from food and through our diet. It can also be found in dietary supplements, which are often taken to manage cholesterol levels or to promote healthy nitric oxide production.
For best results, supplements should only be taken under the supervision of a healthcare professional because there are potentially serious side effects for people who use non-prescription niacin as opposed to prescription niacin.
Benefits of Vitamin B3
Improve brain function
Vitamin B3 is an essential nutrient for protecting brain health. Studies show that it may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related disorders linked to cognitive decline, as well as schizophrenia and hallucinations. Plus, some studies have found therapeutic effects of niacin in the treatment of depression bipolar disorder among other psychiatric conditions.
Niacin helps to lower the risk of stroke and diabetes
Niacin can help balance blood sugar levels and provide relief from diabetes symptoms. Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that helps manage diabetes by improving beta-cell function, which are the cells responsible for producing insulin. Patients who have diabetes may experience better control of their blood glucose as well as lower risk for high cholesterol or heart disease because both conditions are common among people who have type 2 Diabetes.
Niacin has been found to provide benefits for people with type-II diabetes, stroke prevention, and cancer. In studies participants at high risk for cardiovascular disease who took niacin supplements (nicotinic acid) as part of a cardiac rehabilitation program, those taking nicotinic acid had fewer strokes.
Reduces high cholesterol and the Risk of Heart Diseases
Vitamin B3 can help balance cholesterol and triglycerides in your body, which is not all it does. It also reduces the risk of atherosclerosis that is so dangerous to heart health by reducing levels of low-density lipoproteins. This helps reduce possible recurrence for those who have already had a cardiac arrest or are recovering from coronary disease like having suffered a previous heart attack beforehand.
Improves Skin Health
Niacin and Niacinamide are two B vitamins that can improve the health of your skin by reducing inflammation, acne, or other problems. While topical applications to clear up acne is one use for this vitamin in cream form- you might also see it prescribed as a natural beauty treatment. It is easy enough to incorporate into your diet if you are looking for some extra help with combatting inflammation!
Promotes Joint Health
Vitamin B3 in the form of niacinamide can be effective at increasing joint mobility. Studies have found that increased intake may lead to a lower level of pain and inflammation associated with conditions like osteoarthritis. With the right dosage, many people seem able to cut down on their use of standard painkillers or medications for arthritis as a result!
It has been shown that niacinamide is able to decrease swelling when applied topically- making it an excellent choice for those who suffer from chronic arthritis or other inflammatory conditions.
Improves Brain Functioning
Many people do not get enough vitamin b in their diet, and it is essential for brain health. Niacin is one of the few nutrients that can cross from the blood into the brain to help regenerate cells- which means more efficient use of your memory.
Studies show that vitamin B3 can help protect against Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders of the brain. Vitamin B3 is used to treat schizophrenia, as well as to prevent it from happening again. Studies also show that vitamin B3 can be helpful for depression.
Treats Pellagra
Pellagra is a disorder that is caused by vitamin B deficiency. Symptoms include mental problems, skin inflammation, and diarrhea. The condition was common in the southern United States in people who ate corn as their main food source due to lack of other nutrients- but it can be treated with vitamin B supplements if diagnosed early enough.
Lessens Food Cravings
A study found that people who frequently experience food cravings should combine Vitamin B3 with magnesium or calcium to reduce their appetite. Less appetite may lead to weight loss which is very important for people with diabetes.
Depression Treatment
Vitamin B-complex, which includes vitamin B12 and vitamin b15 plus niacin or nicotinic acid is used to treat depression because it boosts serotonin levels in the brain. Doctors may recommend taking 800mg of Niacin daily for eight weeks as part of antidepressant therapy.
Protects Against Birth Defects
A healthy pregnancy is dependent on the baby’s health and so a lack of vitamin B3 during gestation could lead to birth defects at much higher rates. Fortunately, by increasing your intake you can avoid this! The only thing holding doctors back from prescribing niacin are more human studies that need to be done before anything like that happens–especially as it pertains to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) levels in pregnant mothers and what constitutes “healthy” for them.
Vitamin B3 has been shown how important is in fetal development with research showing when moms do not have enough their babies were born with genetic abnormalities more than those who did not suffer any deficiencies of Niacin while being pregnant.
Helps Prevent Impotence
Impotence can be caused by a vitamin B deficiency, as well. The Vitamin is needed to produce testosterone which makes the penis erect and helps achieve orgasm in men.
Impotence is a common problem that can affect the quality of life for men. It might be due to low blood flow and bad circulation, in addition to other factors like stress, fatigue, and illness. Niacin can help with this problem. It helps prevent erectile function because it acts as a vasodilator which improves blood flow throughout the body by dilating veins and arteries.
Deficiency of vitamin B3
Niacin deficiency can cause a wide range of clinical presentations, ranging from pellagra to severe mental impairment.
Pellagra is the most common manifestation of niacin deficiency and will affect all parts of the body as well as the skin (dermatitis).
The deficiency symptoms can include:
- Heart problems and irregular heartbeats
- Stomach or intestinal ulcers
- Memory loss
- Stomach or intestinal ulcers
- Low blood pressure
- Fatigue, dizziness
- disorientation
- Increased blood sugar
- headache
- swollen mouth
- Skin reactions and rashes
Niacin deficiency is more likely to be caused by problems that affect absorption such as alcoholism (when taken during pregnancy) or digestive system disorders like Crohn’s disease which affects nearly 1 million people worldwide.
Health Risks from Excessive Vitamin B3
Excess niacin is usually excreted through the urine, so eating a wide variety of foods rich in vitamin B3 is unlikely to cause side effects.
Although, taking high doses of niacin in supplement form can result in a range of negative symptoms. One common side effect is a skin flush, which is characterized by redness, burning, and itching on the skin. Other potential side effects that can be caused by taking too much niacin include stomach pain, nausea, increased blood sugar, and liver damage.
Therefore, it is very important to take niacin as directed and talk to your doctor if you have any health conditions or you are taking other medications.
Final Thoughts
Vitamin B3 is a powerful nutrient that can help support the functions of your body in many ways. You should try to include as many niacin-rich foods into your diet, but if you still need some extra supplementation to meet dietary requirements or fill any gaps in your daily intake then take advantage of the benefits offered by vitamin B3 supplements!
By NutriWins team
