Niacin is part of the B complex and is water soluble. It is more stable than thiamine or riboflavin and is very resistant to heat, light, air, acids and alkalis. There are also three synthetic forms of niacin: niacinamide, nicotinic acid (known for its ability to lower cholesterol) and nicotinamide. As a coenzyme, niacin, like riboflavin and thiamine, helps enzymes break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Niacin can be made by the body from proteins (from the amino acid tryptophan). Niacin is an effective detoxifier (also for narconci and alcpeool). Researchers (who have experimented with it in pancreatic cancer research) believe that niacin is a chemo-preventive compound, a nutrient that cannot cure cancer, but that can prevent it. Niacin is effective for circulation and lowering the cholesterol level in the blood. It is vital for proper nervous system activity, for maintaining skin and tongue health and for the formation of digestive system tissues. It is necessary for the synthesis of sex hormones. Relatively low amounts of pure niacin are present in most foods. The "niacin-equivalent" in the diet tables means pure niacin or an adequate dose of tryptophan, which can be transformed into niacin by the body. Lean meats, poultry, fish and peanuts are rich sources of grindstone and tryptophan, as well as nutritional supplements such as brewer's yeast, wheat genne and dried liver. Niacin can hardly be obtained from other foods (see table on food composition).
Assimilation and storage
Niacin is absorbed in the intestine and stored mainly in the liver. Any excess dose is excreted in the urine. Excessive consumption of sugar and starches depletes the amount of niacin in the body, as happens with certain antibiotics.
Lean meats, fish, and poultry are good sources. Vitamin B3 is available in dietary supplement form either as nicotinic acid or as nicotinamide (niacinamide). The latter are the forms that do not cause redness resulting from the intake of large doses of niacin.
Dosage and toxicity
People suffering from peptic ulcer, liver disease, gouty arthritis, or heart arrhythmias should only take niacin supplements under medical supervision. The National Research Council (USA) recommends that the daily doses of niacin be in relationship with the caloric intake: from 13 to 19 mg for adults, from 5 to 6 rng for children from 1 to 10 years. Under medical supervision, higher doses ranging from 20 to 100 mg of nìacin per day can also be taken. For 11 to 14 year old males 17 mg is needed, 15 to 18 year old 20 mg; from 19 to 50 years, 19 mg and from 51 and up 15 mg. For women aged 11 to 50 the dose is 15 mg, from 51 and up it is 13 mg. Pregnant women need to add another 2 mg, and breastfeeding women 3 mg. Children 1 to 3 years old should take 9 mg, 4 to 6 years 12 mg, and 7 to 10 years 13 mg. Infants up to six months should take 5 mg, and from 6 months to 1 year the dose is 6 mg. Tryptophan is able to partially or completely cover the daily requirement of niacin: 60 milligrams of tryptophan yields 1 milligram of niacin. During illness, trauma, growth periods and after exercise, the daily requirement increases. Large doses of nicotinic acid (over two grams) can cause skin dryness and discoloration, decreased glucose tolerance, high uric acid levels, abnormal liver function tests, aggravation of peptic ulcers, and even symptoms that resemble those of hepatitis. To avoid liver intoxication with high dosages, the dose should be gradually increased over two months to reach two grams. Medical supervision is essential. No actual toxic effects are known, but high doses, usually 100 milligrams or more, can cause side effects such as itchy sensations, flushing, and throbbing in the head due to dilation of blood vessels. Hot flashes are not considered dangerous but should be avoided. They last about 15 minutes and then they pass. With a synthetic form of niacin, niacinamide, you have the same beneficial effects as niacin but you avoid these side effects. An overdose can trigger a gout attack by preventing the elimination of uric acids. Other symptoms of intoxication are nausea, cramps, diarrhea, feeling faint, and a rapid or irregular heartbeat. Niacinamide can cause depression in some people. It is also known to cause liver damage, starting with doses of 2 grams per day. Since niacin is involved in the process of producing gastric juices, patients who use large doses of it should take the vitamin on a full stomach.
Deficiency effects and symptoms
Symptoms of niacin deficiency are many. Muscle weakness, general fatigue, loss of appetite, indigestion and vanishing skin rashes occur in the first phase. Niacin deficiency can also cause bad breath, small ulcers, insomnia, irritability, nausea. vomiting, recurring headache, sensitive gums, burning in the mouth and tongue, tension and deep depression. Severe niacin deficiency can cause pellagra. characterized by dermatitis, diarrhea, wrinkled and inflamed skin, tremors, nervous disorders and dementia. Many digestive disorders that cause irritation and inflammation of the mucous membranes in the mouth and intestinal tract are due to niacin deficiency.
Beneficial effects in diseases
The amazing thing about niacin is how quickly it can cure dysfunction. A diarrhea can be cured in two days. Atherosclerosis. attacks of Ménière's syndrome (vertigo) and some cases of progressive deafness improved and even disappeared. Niacin is often used to lower high blood pressure and to improve circulation in the legs of older people with cramps and pain. It also helps stimulate the production of hydrochloric acid to aid in faulty digestion. Acne has been successfully treated with niacin. Although no studies have been carried out on this, it is believed that an increase in niacin in the diet is good for diabetics. Dr. J. Silvers writes: "Many migraine headaches can be prevented from reaching the stage of excruciating pain by taking niacin at the first symptom of the attack or seizure." Sixteen years after a study carried out on male individuals suffering from heart attack, survivors who took niacin to lower the level of fat in their blood, had an 11% lower mortality than a similar group to which they had been given a placebo. It has been found that two grams of millstone a day increase the level of HDL cholesterol (the good one). Niacin can reduce blood pressure. Nicotinic acid slows down the atherosclerosis process and can even induce improvements. Niacin is very important for the metabolism of the brain. Some scientists have found that niacin can cure pellagra. When given in high doses, niacin can lead to complete disappearance of delirium over a period of 24 to 48 hours. That is why it is believed that schizophrenia sufferers can benefit from taking high doses of grindstone. In some studies, niacin, along with other vitamins, helps treat symptoms of schizophrenia, such as paranoia and hallucinations. Massive doses of niacin helped elderly patients who were mentally confused. Drs Richard M. Halpern and Robert A. Smith reported the conclusions of research indicating that nicotinamide may be a cancer prevention factor, thanks to the enzymatic regulation that protects normal cells and prevents them from becoming malignant. . Niacin can help with weight reduction due to its ability to elevate and stabilize blood sugar levels. For this reason it is also useful for hypoglycemic patients. Smokers can benefit from niacin because it acts as a vasodilator and removes lipids from the artery walls, an action opposite to that of nicotine. Fluid loss from severe burns can be limited by niacin. Many individuals with insomnia respond well to the calming effect of niacin. Niacin has been very effective in treating arthritis. Patients suffering from arthritis have found greater joint mobility, a decrease in stiffness and pain, as well as an increase in muscle power and a decrease in the sense of fatigue, with the intake of niacin. In many cases, a long treatment is required to get the best benefits. Niacin can reduce the effects of hallucinogens such as LSD and mescaline. Due to its calming properties, niacin can reduce the amount of tranquilizers to be taken or even replace them. Niacin can have positive effects in controlling alcoholism. Niacinamide reduces the tartar of the teeth. Crohn's disease improves with the administration of niacinamide, vitamins C, E, B6 and pyrodoxine. Niacin also gives positive results in the case of osteoarthritis.
Research performed on humans
- Niacin and acne. Twenty cases of acne were treated by giving 100 milligrams of niacin three times. This treatment continued for two to three weeks, or until the patients experienced some regularity of niacin-induced flushing.
- Result. The niacin treatment resulted in a definitive cure of all cases. (Lewis J. Silvers, M.D., reported in Clark Know Your Nutrition, pp. 83-84.). Niacin and cancer. Doctors Richard M. Halpern and Robert A. Smith have established that the malignancy of the cancer may be somehow connected with niacin deficiency. To show that niacin can help avoid cancer, they exposed isolated malignant cells to nicotinamide in their laboratory and noted that the vitamin suppressed malignancy. Doctors have not established dosages, as individual needs vary greatly. (Dr Richard M. Halpern and Dr Robert A Smith. Molecular Biology Institute, reported in Clark, Know Your Nutrition. page 84.)
