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All The Info You Need About Vitamin B3 (Niacin, Niacinamide, Nicotinic Acid, Nicotinamide)
FACTS:
Water-soluble and a member of the B-complex family.
Usually measured in milligrams (mg.).
Using the amino acid tryptophan, the body can manufacture its own niacin.
A person whose body is deficient in B1, B2, and B6 will not be able to pro-
duce niacin from tryptophan.
Lack of niacin can bring about negative personality changes.
The RDI/RDA for niacin is 13–19 mg. for adults. For nursing mothers the
recommendation is 20 mg.
Essential for synthesis of sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testos-
terone), as well as cortisone, thyroxine, and insulin.
Necessary for healthy nervous system and brain functions.
One of the few vitamins that is relatively stable in foods and can withstand
cooking and storage with little loss of potency.
WHAT IT CAN DO FOR YOU:
Help reduce cholesterol and tryglycerides.
Aid in metabolizing fats and promoting a healthy digestive system, allevi-
ate gastrointestinal disturbances.
Give you healthier-looking skin.
Help prevent and ease severity of migraine headaches.
Increase circulation and reduce high blood pressure.
Ease some attacks of diarrhea.
Reduce the unpleasant symptoms of vertigo in Meniere’s disease.
Increase energy through proper utilization of food.
Help eliminate canker sores and, often, bad breath.
DEFICIENCY DISEASE:
Pellagra, severe dermatitis.
BEST NATURAL SOURCES:
Fish, lean meat, whole wheat products, brewer’s yeast, liver, wheat
germ, fish, eggs, roasted peanuts, the white meat of poultry, avocados,
dates, figs, prunes.
SUPPLEMENTS:
Available as niacin, inositol hexanicotinate (IHN), also called “no-flush”
niacin, and niacinamide. (Niacin—nicotinic acid—might cause flushing;
niacinamide and inositol hexanicotinate—which contain niacin and inosi-
tol—will not. If you prefer niacin, you can minimize the flushing by taking
your pill on a full stomach or with an equivalent amount of inositol.)
Usually found in 50–1,000 mg. doses in tablet, capsule, and powder form.
50–100 mg. are ordinarily included in the better B-complex formulas and
multivitamin preparations.
TOXICITY AND WARNING SIGNS OF EXCESS:
Large amounts of niacin can interfere with the control of uric acid, bring-
ing on attacks of gout in people who are prone to this disease.
High levels of niacin can also interfere with the body’s ability to dispose of
sugar, causing possible deterioration of glucose control in borderline diabetes,
precipitating the full-blown disease, and may promote liver abnormalities.
Except for possible side effects, such as flushing and itching resulting from doses above 100 mg., niacin is essentially nontoxic.
Do not give to animals, especially dogs. It can cause flushing and sweat-
ing and great discomfort for the animal.
ENEMIES:
Water, sulfa drugs, alcohol, sleeping pills, estrogen.
PERSONAL ADVICE:
If you’re taking antibiotics and suddenly find your niacin flushes becom-
ing severe, don’t be alarmed. It’s quite common. (The flush usually disappears in about twenty minutes. Drinking a glass of water helps.) You’ll probably be more comfortable, though, if you switch to a “no-flush” supplement with inositol hexanicotinate.
To avoid gastrointestinal upsets, do not take niacin on an empty stomach
or with hot beverages.
If you have a cholesterol problem, increasing your niacin intake can help.
(I recommend using it under the supervision of your physician, especially if you are taking other medication.)
Skin that is particularly sensitive to sunlight is often an early indicator
of niacin deficiency.
