Do You Know Your Vitamins?: Niacin
- Mar 29, 2017
- 3 min read
It has been a while since I've discussed any of the vitamins. Back in the fall I decided to begin discussing each vitamin in depth starting with thiamin and riboflavin. I think it's important for everyone and not just health professionals to know how each vitamin affects our bodies in positive and negative ways. Let's get started with today's topic of niacin, or vitamin B3.
The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) put forth by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences recommends the following intake of niacin daily...
***mg/d= milligrams per day***
Sources of Niacin:
As mentioned in the previous vitamin posts, most B vitamins are needed in small amounts. Therefore for most individuals with a relatively varied diet can easily obtain the recommended amounts for their age group. The table pictured below contains various foods that contain the most concentrated amounts of niacin.
Niacin Deficiency:
Niacin deficiency also known as "Pellagra" can be very detrimental to the entire body. Niacin plays a role in coenzymes called NAD+ and NADP+. These coenzymes are involved in almost every pathway involved in metabolism. Therefore without these coenzymes our bodies would not function properly. The are multiple symptoms associated with pellagra including...
Dementia
Diarrhea
Dermatitis
Redness in the neck
Roughened skin
Although pellagra is not very common within the United States, there are conditions that can increase your risk. These conditions include chronic diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, deficiency of tryptophan, physical trauma, stress, long-term fever, and excessive consumption of alcohol. If you feel that you experience any of these conditions and are worried about your risk for niacin deficiency consult your doctor or begin taking a multivitamin.
Niacin Toxicity:
Just as there are consequences of not obtaining enough niacin in the diet, there can also be consequences of ingesting too much niacin. The primary effects of too much niacin consumption include flushing, heated face and neck, itching, and tingling. Severe liver toxicity has been reported but is not common. These side effects of too much niacin consumption are usually reversible with cessation of supplementation or dose reduction.
Although most B vitamins do not have a Tolerable Upper Limit (UL), niacin actually does. The UL for adults is 35mg per day which covers all consumption via food, supplements, and medications. While large doses of niacin cause toxicity effects, doctors sometimes prescribe large doses of niacin supplementation as it has been shown to lower low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Any large dose supplementation should be taken under supervision of a doctor or medical professional.
Functions of Niacin:
NAD+ and NADH+ are two unique forms of niacin that are critical in the conversion of carbohydrates proteins and fats into usable energy.
Niacin is used to synthesize starch that is able to store within the body's muscles and liver for later use for energy.
The synthesis of many fat containing structures within the body and fat-based steroid hormones require the presence of niacin to be formed.
DNA components require niacin in order to be produced. There is a relationship between niacin, DNA, and cancer effects.
Niacin is involved in insulin metabolism as well as blood sugar regulation.
What else should you know?:
Niacin is one of the most stable water-soluble vitamins if them all. This means that niacin is minimally effected by heat, light, or air.
References:
1. Matelijan G. The world's healthiest foods. 1st ed. Seattle, Washington: GMF Publishing; 2007.
2. Insel P, Ross D, McMahon L, Bernstein M. Nutrition. 4th ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishing; 2011.
Comments