Vitamin Supplements

Vitamin B3 Basic Functions

In concert with a variety of enzymes, niacin participates in a variety of metabolic processes. It helps convert energy derived from carbohydrates, fats, and protein into a form that the body can use.

In large doses, niacin (specifically, nicotinic acid) positively affects fats in the blood: it can decrease total cholesterol, while increasing the HDL (”good”) component of cholesterol.

Vitamin B3 Deficiency

A niacin deficiency, caused by low intake of both niacin and tryptophan, most prominently affects the skin, which becomes cracked, darkly pigmented, and scaly, particularly in areas exposed to sunlight (such as the backs of the hands, the forehead, and the neck).

This deficiency also causes diarrhea and affects the nervous system, often leading to irritability, anxiety, depression, tremors, muscle weakness, confusion, and disorientation. In the most severe cases, it can produce dementia and hallucinations.

Although pellagra is now rare, it still occurs in individuals with severe deficiencies, producing symptoms such as dermatitis, diarrhea, delirium, swelling of the mouth and tongue, and death.

Who’s At Risk for Vitamin B3 Deficiency?

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you have an above-average risk of developing a niacin deficiency

• Do you exercise? The more energy you expend, the more niacin you need, because niacin plays a role in converting foods into energy
• Are you pregnant? Because pregnant women require more energy, they need more niacin. The RDAs advise an additional 2 mg per day during pregnancy.
• Are you breast-feeding? Women who are nursing lose niacin in their breast milk and also expend more energy; thus they need extra niacin.

Individuals at risk for niacin deficiency generally live in parts of the world where both niacin- and tryptophan-rich foods are scarce and where diets are poor.

Vitamin B3Toxicity

In general, the risk of niacin toxicity is low for doses contained in most vitamin supplements. Some people who use niacin to reduce blood cholesterol levels, however, have taken things to extremes— and paid the price. They’ve discovered that very high doses of niacin can produce uncomfortable—at times even dangerous— side effects. Other people have had the same trouble after self-prescribing excessive amounts of this vitamin to boost energy and stamina, a benefit unsubstantiated by scientific research.

The symptoms of high doses of niacin depend on the form of B3 taken. Nicotinic acid can produce severe flushing, usually within an hour or two after consumption, because it stimulates the release of histamine, a substance that dilates the blood vessels. According to one study, 92 percent of people who take doses of 3 g per day experience this flushing. While this makes some individuals uncomfortable enough to discontinue use of the vitamin, many other people develop a tolerance or control the effect by taking aspirin or an antihistamine shortly before consuming a dose of nicotinic acid.

Other side effects associated with nicotinic acid include skin tingling, itching, stinging, rashes, headaches, dryness, nausea, and diarrhea. But physicians are particularly worried about more serious consequences of extremely high doses which can produce high blood sugar levels, ulcers, liver damage, or irregular heart rhythms.

A 3 g dose of nicotinic acid can double a person’s risk of developing certain kinds of abnormal heart rhythms and is generally considered to be toxic. We strongly discourage levels that high without medical supervision; 3 g is a pharmacological dose, not a supplemental one. In other words, 3 g of niacin is no longer a vitamin, but a drug. Although you can purchase nicotinic acid supermarkets and pharmacies without a prescription, you should take the potential risks of this substance seriously. Most doctors advise people with peptic ulcers to be particularly cautious in using nicotinic acid.

Fewer serious toxic risks have been associated with nicotinamide than with nicotinic acid, but problems can occur with either form of vitamin B3. Heartburn, nausea, headaches, fatigue, sore throats, and dry hair have been reported in association with high doses of nicotinamide.

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