Ingredient Information

Function

Niacin (or vitamin B3) is a natural vitamin found in fish, peanuts, beets, yeast, and many other food sources. When included in the ingredients list of foods, niacin has been fortified in that product. It is most commonly fortified in bread and cereal products. Niacin fortification is the result of governmental action to reduce pellagra (severe niacin deficiency) in the United States. Niacin exists naturally in grains, but is often removed as part of the milling process. Fortification is an attempt to counteract this casualty of food processing.

Other Use and Industries

Niacin is used in the pharmaceutical industry to treat high cholesterol, mild niacin deficiency, and Pellagra. Because of potential liver toxicity, excess doses of niacin should only be taken with a doctor’s supervision.

Health Effects

Niacin helps the energy from food available to the cells of the body. Niacin is also important to the health of the liver, the production of hormones such as testosterone and estrogen, and has even been shown to improve blood circulation and cholesterol. If insufficient amounts of niacin are consumed in the diet, the body can make it from tryptophan, a part of the protein found in meat, eggs, and diary products. Between food fortification and tryptophan availability, niacin deficiencies are very rare and most often occur in alcoholics. The daily recommended intake for adults is 14-16 mg.

Initial symptoms of small deficiencies include fatigue, vomiting, and depression. More severe deficiency causes pellagra. Patients with pellagra have dementia and diarrhea as well as cracked, scaly skin. Very high doses can cause a skin flush, nausea, dizziness, headache, blurred vision, and liver damage.

Because niacin is a water-soluble vitamin, excess amounts are eliminated in the urine instead of stored in the body. This means that the daily intake recommendations must be met every day for the healthy functioning of the body. There has been some research to suggest that reducing niacin intake may help curb obesity, but so far the link between the two is very weak.

Niacin supplementation interacts with aspirin, anticoagulants, blood pressure medication, and cholesterol lowering medication. Extreme excesses of niacin may be hazardous to people with heart conditions or women who are pregnant, but it is unlikely that these levels could come about from eating fortified foods. Excess niacin can also increase blood sugar, a concern for diabetic patients.

Origins

Supplemental niacin is created in a laboratory by a long series of chemical reactions. This synthetic form of niacin is identical to the nutrient found naturally in foods.