Key Facts about Vitamin B3

About Vitamin B3:

• Vitamin B3, or Niacin, is a water-soluble vitamin.
  • Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine.
  • The body keeps a small reserve of these vitamins, but they have to be taken on a regular basis to maintain the reserve.
• It is naturally present in many foods, added to some food products, and available as a dietary supplement.
• The body gets niacin through food, but it also makes small amounts from the amino acid tryptophan, which can be found in protein sources like turkey and other animal foods.
• The two most common forms of niacin in food and supplements are nicotinic acid and nicotinamide.
• Functions:
  • Niacin works in the body as a coenzyme, with other 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.
  • Due to Niacin's positive effects on cholesterol levels, it may help prevent heart disease.
  • Additionally, it may reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which are associated with atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries.
• Food Sources: 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
• Deficiency:
  • A severe niacin deficiency leads to pellagra, a condition that causes a dark, sometimes scaly rash to develop on skin areas exposed to sunlight; bright redness of the tongue; and constipation/diarrhea.
  • Other signs of severe niacin deficiency include:
    • Depression
    • Headache
    • Fatigue
    • Memory loss