Niacin – Vitamin B3

Niacin, or vitamin B3, is a water-soluble B vitamin found naturally in some foods, added to foods, and sold as a supplement. The two most common forms of niacin in food and supplements are nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. The body can also convert tryptophan—an amino acid—to nicotinamide. Niacin is water-soluble so that excess amounts the body does not need are excreted in the urine. Niacin works in the body as a coenzyme, with more than 400 enzymes dependent on it for various reactions. Niacin helps to convert nutrients into energy, create cholesterol and fats, create and repair DNA, and exert antioxidant effects.

Food Sources

A niacin deficiency is rare because it is found in many foods, both from animals and plants.

Red meat: beef, beef liver, pork

Poultry

Fish

Brown rice

Fortified cereals and breads

Nuts, seeds

Legumes

Bananas

Supplements

Niacin is available as a supplement in the form of nicotinic acid or nicotinamide. Sometimes the amounts in supplements are far beyond the RDA, causing unpleasant side effects of flushing. Nutrition supplement Niacin are also available as a prescription medicine that is used to treat high cholesterol; this typically comes in an extended release form of nicotinic acid that allows slower, more gradual absorption so that it does not cause flushing. Because of the very high doses of nicotinic acid needed, up to 2,000 mg daily, this supplement should only be used when monitored by a physician.