Niacin and niacinamide are forms of vitamin B3. It is one of 8 B vitamins. It is also known as nicotinic acid and has 2 other forms, niacinamide (nicotinamide) and inositol hexanicotinate, which have different effects from niacin.
Niacin is an important part of metabolism. It helps the body to convert food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which is used to produce energy. It also helps with the conversion of fats and proteins, although to a lesser extent. Niacin is also necessary for a healthy digestive system, circulatory system, and nervous system, along with healthy hair, eyes, and nails. Niacin also is essential in reducing cholesterol in the blood thus preventing atherosclerosis and thrombosis.
Vitamin B3 is found in many foods including yeast, meat, fish, milk, eggs, green vegetables, beans, and cereal grains. Niacin and niacinamide are also found in many vitamin B complex supplements with other B vitamins. All the B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning that the body does not store them. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine. That means you need a continuous supply of such vitamins in your diet.
You can meet all of your body's needs for B3 through diet. It is rare for anyone in the developed world to have a B3 deficiency. In the United States, alcoholism is the main cause of vitamin B3 deficiency.
Symptoms of mild deficiency include indigestion, fatigue, canker sores, vomiting, and depression. Severe deficiency can cause a condition known as pellagra. Pellagra is characterized by cracked, scaly skin, dementia, and diarrhea. It is generally treated with a nutritionally balanced diet and niacin supplements. Niacin deficiency also causes burning in the mouth and a swollen, bright red tongue.
Niacin is used for high cholesterol. It is also used along with other treatments for circulation problems, migraineheadache, dizziness, and to reduce the diarrhea associated with cholera. Niacin is also used for preventing positive urine drug screens in people who take illegal drugs.
Niacinamide is used for treating diabetes and two skin conditions called bullous pemphigoid and granuloma annulare.
Niacin also helps the body make various sex and stress-related hormones in the adrenal glands and other parts of the body. Niacin helps improve circulation.
Niacin or niacinamide is used for preventing vitamin B3 deficiency and related conditions such as pellagra. Each of these forms of vitamin B3 is used for schizophrenia, hallucinations due to drugs, Alzheimer's disease and age-related loss of thinking skills, chronic brain syndrome, depression, motion sickness, alcohol dependence, and fluid collection (edema).
Some people use niacin or niacinamide for acne, leprosy, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), memory loss, arthritis, preventing premenstrual headache, improving digestion, protecting against toxins and pollutants, reducing the effects of aging, lowering blood pressure, improving circulation, promoting relaxation, improving orgasm, and preventing cataracts.
Niacinamide is applied to the skin for treating a skin condition called inflammatory acne vulgaris.
Those who use alcohol frequently or are vegetarian or vegan may want to take a niacin supplement—alcohol inhibits niacin absorption, and diets that lack protein are probably niacin deficient.
Symptoms of niacin deficiency include canker sores, dementia, depression, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue, halitosis, headaches, and indigestion. Additional B3 deficiency symptoms include insomnia, limb pains, loss of appetite, low blood sugar, muscular weakness, skin eruptions, and inflammation.
Extreme cases of niacin deficiency can even lead to the development of a potentially fatal disease called Pellagra. Pellagra is caused by a lack of niacin, and is characterized by diarrhea, mental disorders, depression, and skin problems.
The best food sources of vitamin B3 are found in beets, brewer's yeast, beef liver, beef kidney, fish, salmon, swordfish, tuna, sunflower seeds, and peanuts. Bread and cereals are usually fortified with niacin. In addition, foods that contain tryptophan, an amino acid the body coverts into niacin, include poultry, red meat, eggs, and dairy products.
Niacin, or vitamin B3, as it is also known, is involved in over 50 metabolic processes that are meant to turn carbohydrates into energy. Besides providing energy to the cells from the entire body, niacin is also responsible for the integrity of these cells. Further on are listed some of the processes niacin participates in:
Antioxidant effect
Blood sugar control
Decrease of cholesterol levels
Detoxification
Production of adrenal hormones
Production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach
Production of sex hormones
Other benefits of niacin includes:
Treating Alcoholism
Decreasing the risk of cataracts
Mental Confusion
Promoting relaxation
Preventing Migraines
Crohn's Disease
Treating depression
Lowered risk of Alzheimer's disease
Preventing motion sickness
Treating Schizophrenic symptoms
Treatment for peripheral artery disease (PAD)
Vitamin B3 will also turn fat into energy, as it is also involved in fat metabolism. Below are detailed some of the most important health benefits of this vitamin.
Despite the availability of many different cholesterol medications, niacin remains the most effective treatment for increasing HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol). Niacin can increase HDL by an impressive 15 to 35 percent. It also lowers LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) by a modest though still respectable 5 to 25 percent. Additionally, niacin can have a significant impact on high triglycerides, lowering them by 20 to 50 percent. These actions complement the activity of various other cholesterol medications, and niacin is often used in combination with other cholesterol treatments (such as statins), particularly for its beneficial effect on HDL.
Niacin is also involved in the production of histamine, which is a chemical compound capable of dilating blood vessels. This way, blood circulation is improved to all the areas of the body, which means that hands and feet will benefit from this effect, too. When administered in high doses, inositol hexaniacinate - the form of niacin responsible for this effect, is able to prevent atherosclerosis. In addition, the risk of heart attack and peripheral vascular disease also decreases considerably. Blood circulation problems are often painful, but vitamin B3 is very reliable, both in the prevention and in the treatment of such disorders. The best effects are obtained when vitamin B3 is combined with simvastatin, a drug that is used for lowering cholesterol levels.
In one study, men with existing heart disease slowed down the progression of atherosclerosis by taking niacin along with colestipol. They had fewer heart attacks and deaths, as well.
In another study, people with heart disease and high cholesterol who took niacin along with simvastatin (Zocor) had a lower risk of having a first heart attack or stroke. Their risk of death was also lower. In another study, men who took niacin alone seemed to reduce the risk of having a second heart attack, although it did not reduce the risk of death.
Niacinamide represents a chemical substance found in the composition of vitamin B3. This substance is believed to be effective for preventing diabetes and also for delaying the need for insulin. According to some studies conducted on animals, niacinamide improves the efficiency of the oral drug treatment that is administered for diabetes. However, you should not take niacin prior to consulting a health care provider, as this vitamin is suspected for increasing blood sugar levels.
In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, eventually destroying them. Niacinamide may help protect those cells for a time. Researchers have also looked at whether high-dose niacinamide might reduce the risk of type 1 diabetes in children at risk for the disease. One study found that it did, but another, larger study found it did not protect against developing type 1 diabetes. More research is needed to know for sure.
The effect of niacin on type 2 diabetes is more complicated. People with type 2 diabetes often have high levels of fats and cholesterol in the blood. Niacin, often along with other drugs, can lower those levels. However, niacin may also raise blood sugar levels, which is particularly dangerous for someone with diabetes. For that reason, anyone with diabetes should take niacin only when directed to do so by their doctor, and should be carefully monitored for high blood sugar.
Niacinamide also seems to be very effective in increasing joint mobility. Correlated with the facts that niacin enhances muscle strength and reduces muscle and joint fatigue, this means that vitamin B3 can be successfully used in the treatment of osteoarthritis. If it is administered in high doses each day, effects are observed in 3 to 4 months. Niacin is also appreciated for its anti-inflammatory effect, which makes it a proper treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Worn down cartilage is rebuild when sufficient vitamin B3 is taken.
Niacin can help keep skin healthy and is used for a variety of skin problems, including inflammation, acne, rosacea, dull skin tone and sagging skin. Regular use can help reduce these problems. Niacin also helps the skin with moisture retention and aids skin's elasticity and tone. You can use supplements but to increase the benefits of niacin on your skin, eat fish, meats, grains and green vegetables or other foods high in vitamin B3.
Population studies show that people who get higher levels of niacin in their diet have a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. No studies have evaluated niacin supplements, however.
One large population study found that people who got a lot of niacin in their diets had a lower risk of developing cataracts.
Niacin has received much press about the benefits to our health. It has been proven to lower cholesterol by lowering LDL lipids and triglycerides. In addition studies have shown other positive effects of niacin, such as stress relief, migraine relief and regulation of blood sugar in hypoglycemic.
However, it can be said that equal press has been given to undesirable side effects of niacin, most notably, niacin flush which can occur in doses greater than 50-100mg. Users of niacin will be well aware of this side effect, which manifests itself in the form of reddening along with a prickling or itching sensation on the skin as the niacin "flushes" through the body. High doses of niacin can cause these side effects to occur more pronounced and the effects can last up to 30 minutes. So what is happening to your body to cause this niacin flush and is it of any benefits to your health. To answer this we must weigh up the pros and cons of taking niacin as a health supplement.
What niacin does is it actually causes vasodilation, which is essentially a widening of your blood vessels and capillaries. Our arteries, veins and capillaries are used to transport oxygen and nutrients to all parts of our body and are also responsible for removing toxins from those areas. Capillaries are the blood vessels that reach our extremities and as such are important for removing toxins from parts of our bodies. Because capillaries are extremely narrow, blood normally passes through them slowly. This has the effect of hindering the speedy trafficking of toxins out of your system. This is partly why we get build-ups of toxins in our body because the blood is not being passed quickly enough to push the toxins out.
If you think of you circulatory system as a road map. The arteries and veins would be the highways and major roads, whereas the capillaries would be small narrow, almost impassable dirt roads. If you consider a remote building on that small dirt road as a cell that is full of toxins. Without a sufficient supply of blood (a wider road), this cell cannot rid itself of it's toxins (get traffic through). If however, these dirt roads were widened, then the traffic or in this case the toxins could easily pass through.
This is exactly what Niacin does – it causes blood vessels, including capillaries, to dilate or increase in size, allowing more blood to flow through, causing the familiar niacin flush. This allows more blood to flow freely around your body to remove toxins. The body releases histamines which are compounds that aid in the building of the immune system. A side effect of histamines is the itch or prickling sensation you feel through the niacin flush. Other positive effects of the niacin flush are reduced stress and better sleep patterns through better circulation.
Weighing up the pros and cons of niacin flush, if you are still worried about its side effects, try to reassure yourself that the flushing is temporary and it is your body's way of telling you that it is healing itself!
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Niacin and Niacinamide:
Flushing/warmth in the face and neck, headache, itching, burning, sweating, chills, or tingling may occur within 20 minutes to 4 hours of taking this medication. Flushing may persist for a few hours. These effects should improve or go away as your body adjusts to the medication. Stomach upset, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, contact your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
If your doctor has prescribed this medication, remember that he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: severe dizziness/fainting, fast/irregular heartbeat, severe headache (migraine), unusual joint pain, swelling of legs/arms, vision problems.
Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: severe stomach/abdominal pain, black/tarry stools, easy bruising/bleeding, unexplained muscle pain/tenderness/weakness, persistent nausea/vomiting, change in the amount of urine, dark urine, vomit that looks like coffee grounds, yellowing eyes/skin
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); black, tarry, or bloody stools; changes in vision (eg, cloudy or blurred vision); decrease in urine or dark-colored urine; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat; flu-like symptoms (eg, chills, fever, persistent sore throat); increased sweating; loss of appetite; muscle pain, tenderness, swelling, or weakness (with or without fever and fatigue); numbness or persistent tingling of the skin; severe dizziness or headache; severe or persistent diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting; shortness of breath; stomach pain; swelling of the hands, legs, or feet; unusual bruising or bleeding; vomit that looks like coffee grounds; yellowing of the skin or eyes.
When doses of over 3 grams per day of niacin are taken, more serious side effects can happen. These include liver problems, gout, ulcers of the digestive tract, loss of vision, high blood sugar, irregular heartbeat, and other serious problems. Similar side effects can happen with large doses of niacinamide.
Niacin and niacinamide are LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth. A common minor side effect of niacin is a flushing reaction. This might cause burning, tingling, itching, and redness of the face, arms, and chest, as well as headaches. Starting with small doses of niacin and taking 325 mg of aspirin before each dose of niacin will help reduce the flushing reaction. Usually, this reaction goes away as the body gets used to the medication. Alcohol can make the flushing reaction worse. Avoid large amounts of alcohol while taking niacin.
Niacinamide is POSSIBLY SAFE when used appropriately in children.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Niacin and niacinamide are LIKELY SAFE for pregnant and breast-feeding women when taken in the recommended amounts. The recommended amount of niacin for pregnant or breast-feeding women is 30 mg per day for women under 18 years of age, and 35 mg for women over 18.
Taking any one of the B vitamins for a long period of time can result in an imbalance of other important B vitamins. For this reason, you may want to take a B complex vitamin, which includes all the B vitamins.
Niacin should not be taken with certain prescription medications. Check with your doctor to find out how niacin might affect any drugs you're taking. Some of these include tetracycline, alpha-blockers for hypertension, anticoagulants, Isoniazid for tuberculosis, and drugs used in the treatment of diabetes.
Because of the potential for side effects and interactions with medications, you should take dietary supplements only under the supervision of a knowledgeable health care provider.
Before taking niacin, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
This product should not be used if you have certain medical problems. Before using this product, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have: very low blood pressure, current liver disease, increase in liver enzymes, current ulcer, current bleeding.
If you have any of the following health problems, consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting this product: alcohol use, history of bleeding problems (e.g., low platelets), diabetes, gallbladder disease, glaucoma, gout, heart disease (e.g., recent heart attack, unstable angina), kidney disease, history of liver disease, untreated mineral imbalance (low phosphate levels), history of stomach/intestinal ulcers, underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).
This drug may make you dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Limit alcoholic beverages. To minimize dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position. This is very important if you are also taking medication to lower your blood pressure.
Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking this medication.
If you have diabetes, this drug may increase your blood sugar levels. Check your blood sugar levels regularly as directed by your doctor. Tell your doctor immediately if you have symptoms of high blood sugar such as increased thirst and urination. Your anti-diabetic medication or diet may need to be adjusted.
The following doses have been studied in scientific research:
BY MOUTH:
For high cholesterol: The effects of niacin are dose-dependent. The biggest increases in HDL and decreases in triglycerides occur at 1200-1500 mg/day. Niacin's greatest effects on LDL occur at 2000-3000 mg/day.
To prevent heart disease in people with high cholesterol: Niacin 4 grams daily.
For preventing and treating vitamin B3 deficiency: Doses of nicotinic acid and niacinamide are considered equivalent. For mild vitamin B3 deficiency, niacin or niacinamide 50-100 mg per day is used. For pellagra in adults, niacin or niacinamide 300-500 mg daily is given in divided doses. For pellagra in children, niacin or niacinamide 100-300 mg daily is given in divided doses. For Hartnup disease, niacin or niacinamide 50-200 mg daily.
For reducing fluid loss caused by cholera toxin: Niacin 2 grams daily.
To prevent type 1 diabetes in high-risk children: Sustained-release niacinamide 1.2 grams/m² (body surface area) per day.
To slow disease progression of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes: Niacinamide 25 mg/kg daily.
For treating osteoarthritis: Niacinamide 3 grams per day in divided doses.
For reduced risk of cataracts: A daily dietary intake of approximately 44 mg of niacin.
For preventing Alzheimer's disease: 17-45 mg of niacin from food and multivitamins. Food sources high in niacin include meat, fish, beans, nuts, coffee, and fortified grains and cereals. Note that there is no reliable evidence that taking a stand-alone niacin supplement will help to prevent Alzheimr's disease.
The daily recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) of niacin are: Infants 0-6 months, 2 mg; Infants 7-12 months, 4 mg; Children 1-3 years, 6 mg; Children 4-8 years, 8 mg; Children 9-13 years, 12 mg; Men 14 years and older, 16 mg; Women 14 years and older, 14 mg; Pregnant women, 18 mg; and Lactating women, 17 mg. The maximum daily dose of niacin is: Children 1-3 years, 10 mg; Children 4-8 years, 15 mg; Children 9-13 years, 20 mg; Adults, including Pregnant and Lactating women, 14-18 years, 30 mg; and Adults, including pregnant and breast-feeding women, older than 18 years, 35 mg.
The following Niacin "flush" reviews have been selected:
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars take niacin to raise HDL and lower triclycerides, August 2, 2009
By
happy listener
I have high triglycerides and low HDL. Niacin is the best treatment for lowering Triglycerides and raising HDL. Since niacin is not a patentable pharmaceutical product, physicians are many times not aware of the value of treating this condition with niacin. So, let me say somethings I have learned in my internet search of the literature about niacin. First, 500mg is to low a dose. That is because niacin is water soluble and thus lost in urine. So, you need a higher dose, between 1500 and 3000mg. The literature suggests that you start from low dosage, 500mg and work your way up to these dosages. The reason is the hot flash reactions to niacin and the build up in dosages helps to minimize the hot flashes. I take 1500 mg twice a day. Take niacin after meals with liquids. Also. be aware that slo niacin doesn't work on triglcerides and HDL. A hot flash is better than being in a hospital after a heart attack! Also, niacin at these levels is safe.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars HOT FLUSH! DON'T PANIC!, April 12, 2011
By
Tony NYC "Tony NYC"
This is the RIGHT kind of Niacin to take to lower Triglycerides, raise GOOD cholesterol and reverse hardening of the arteries. The other types, slow niacin and niacinamide are basically useless for this purpose.
DOSAGE: Take 500 mg. per day with PLENTY of water and preferably with a meal. This will minimize the flushing.
Do NOT get scared! You are suppsed to feel like your skin is on FIRE! and it does NOT last long.,
Take this same amount until you basically don't get the intense flush and burn, then increase the dose.
Niacin (B3) is water soluble so you can't OD on it, but you do want to work yourself up to say, 2000 MG per day or more.
Just remember to NOT panic when you feel that hot flush!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Product and Good Price, December 14, 2009
By
D. Parks (U.S.)
I take niacin in order to raise my good cholesterol (HDL), and to lower my triglycerides level. This product does both of these things for me. In my opinion, immediate release niacin such as this product, is the smartest form of niacin for my purposes. It does what I want done, and is, in my opinion, the cheapest, most effective, and the very safest way to do this. Immediate release niacin does cause a flush. But understand that if you don't get the flush, you probably won't get the desired benefits. You wouldn't buy a sports car, and then have the motor removed so that it won't go fast. With a sports car, the thrill of going fast is probably the reason you buy the product. With niacin, you have to have the flush, if you want it to do for you what you buy this type of product for in the first place. As with other niacin products, immediate release niacin could somewhat raise your average blood sugar level, and it could possibly effect your liver. At least, this is what I've read. It hasn't bothered me.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Real niacin, March 19, 2009
By
Casey Howard (Reno, NV)
This is real niacin, and by that I mean it's the type that gives niacin flush. However, this means it is healthier. It's better at lowering cholesterol. It's not 100% accepted, but there have been several studies that show that flushing niacin lowers LDL cholesterol a lot better than non-flush niacin.
Anyway, this stuff is your typical flush niacin. However, it's the cheapest niacin I've ever bought. It's also hard to find real niacin these days (by real I mean niacin that's not flush-free).
I recommend taking these right before you go to bed at first, so you don't feel the niacin flush. Eventually, your body will get used to it. But it will take a while, since these are pretty potent for first time niacin users.
I will continue to use this as my primary source of niacin.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Niacin for Memory Loss, February 20, 2009
By
Stephen Kovaka (Corydon, IN USA)
Investigators at the U. of California have recently found that Niacin can reverse memory loss, including the kind associated with Alzheimer's disease. The terminology can be confusing at times: Niacin = nicotinamide = niacinamide = Vitamin B3, but this is the right product. Since this is a water soluble vitamin, it is not stored in the body. Some doctors have found that 250 mg. is the maximum effective dose (but you can take that much every 3 hours). Next time I will buy the 250 mg. size rather than this 500 mg. size. Personally, I have experienced a noticeable improvement in memory (age 60) since beginning to take Niacin.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Real Niacin, December 3, 2011
By
Twark Main
It's very hard to find real niacin anymore, this is the real stuff. I suffered with depression for 15 years when I heard about nicotinic acid (B3). I've taken 4 of these a day for the last year and have not had a bout of depression since. My mind is also no longer in a haze, I can remember things... None of the pharmaceutical [stuff] I took for 10 years helped, in fact all I noticed was the side effects. Prevents Alzheimers, dementia and lowers your cholesterol, who could ask for anything more. Niacin also stopped the horrible withdrawal symptoms of ambien, allowing me to ween myself off of that poison. It has to be real niacin with the flushes, nicotinic acid, not niacinamide, that [stuff] won't work.
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