VITAMIN B-3
(Niacin = Nicotinic Acid; Niacinamide = Nicotinamide)

General - water-soluble; anti-pellagra factor;

• Deficiency disease of niacin — pellagra — was known in 1735 by physician to Philip V of Spain;
• Virtually unknown in North America until beginning of 20th century;
• 250,000 annual cases of pellagra reported world-wide from 1910 to 1935;
• Niacin, nicotinic acid, niacinamide & nicotinamide are equivalent in niacin activity;
• “Niacin Equivalents” in dietary tables = sum of these 4 forms + tryptophan, that human cells can convert to niacin;
• History: obtained from oxidation of nicotine in 1867; identified as pellagra preventive factor in 1937; transformation of tryptophan to niacin understood in 1945;

Nutrition

• Sources: brewer’s yeast; liver; lean meats, fish & poultry;
• Supplements: “flushing” niacin, “non-flush” niacin complexes, “non-flushing” niacinamide, Bcomplex, multi-vitamin, multi-mineral-vitamin;
• Absorption: rapid, from small intestine; circulates freely in body;
• Stability: stable to heat, light, acid, alkali & oxidation;
• Storage: in all cells; slightly higher amounts found in liver, brain, heart, skin & gut;
• Excretion: through urine;
• Metabolism: about 65% of RDA can be made from the amino acid tryptophan; sugars & starches increase requirement;
• Interactions: alcohol, antibiotics increase need;

Functions of niacin & niacinamide

• Co-factor (NAD, NADP), energy-producing reactions of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins;
• Maintains normal growth rates; needed in synthesis of DNA, fats, proteins & cholesterol;
• Promotes production of bile salts & metabolism of fats & fat soluble vitamins;
• Regulates synthesis of sex, thyroid & pancreatic (insulin) hormones;
• Maintains healthy nervous system & brain function, skin, mouth & digestive tract;
• Niacin, but not the amide form, increases blood flow to the extremities, accompanied by “flush” reaction; improves circulation & skin health;
• Reduces cholesterol production in the body;
• Part of dehydrogenase (hydrogen acceptor) enzymes, carrying out many vital reactions within all cells;
• Functions antagonized by: alcohol, excess carbohydrates, stress, prescription antibiotics, strenuous physical exertion & pregnancy;

Quantities

• Measurement: 60 mg tryptophan = 1 mg niacin =1 NE (Niacin Equivalent) = 1 mg niacinamide;
• Optimum: (SONA) average ranges from 25 to 30 mg/day;
• Individual optimum must be determined individually; should parallel caloric intake; minimum about 7 mg/1,000 calories;
• Minimum: (DRI) set at 16 mg/day;
• Less than RDA: 30% of population, according to a U.S. government survey;
• Deficiency can result from lack in the diet; excess alcohol or carbohydrates; stress; antibiotics; intense physical exertion; pregnancy; poor absorption; inordinately high requirement;
• Symptoms include: four D’s of pellagra: dermatitis, diarrhoea, dementia & death; skin symptoms aggravated by sunlight;
• Sub-clinical deficiency symptoms include lassitude, mild skin rash, irritability, headache, anorexia, memory loss, anger, depression &/or fear, insomnia; tongue: red tip, enlarged taste buds, white coating, false pigmentation; rough inflamed skin;
• Toxicity: niacin: non-harmful “niacin flush” - reddened, itchy skin & chills, lasting 15 to 40 minutes, from niacin’s release of vasodilating histamine;
• Large doses (more than 1,000 mg) are best monitored by a health professional; may produce stomach pain, diarrhoea, cardiac arrhythmia, itching & nausea; may increase blood sugar levels in diabetics, elevate blood pressure, worsen gastric ulcer, worsen gout by increasing uric acid levels;
• Timed-release high-dose niacin: may impair liver function;
• Niacinamide produces no flush; but has slightly higher liver toxicity than niacin;

Therapy with vitamin B-3

• Usual therapeutic dose: 20 - 1,000 mg/day; up to 3,000 or even 6,000 mg/day in cardiovascular disease & schizophrenia;
• Alleviates all deficiency symptoms;
• Helpful in returning non-functioning schizophrenics to (tax-paying) functionality;
• 100 mg of oral niacin given 3x/day may help provide relief from chronic acne;
• Niacin (not niacinamide) may reduce alcoholics’ craving for alcohol; may help remove pesticides, PCBs & other toxins from body (used with saunas & exercise);
• Lowers high blood cholesterol & triglyceride levels; increases beneficial HDL cholesterol; improves circulation;
• With chromium, may be helpful in diabetes;
• Reduces high blood pressure in some people;
• Large doses may relieve migraine headaches;
• Reverse dysperception & delusions of people suffering from mental disorders; may relieve vertigo characteristic of Meniere’s syndrome through improved circulation;
• In conjunction with high protein diet, 250 mg, 6x/day helps overcome pain & stiffness of arthritis;