In fact, every part of your body needs it to function properly. As a supplement, niacin may help lower cholesterol, ease arthritis, and boost brain function, among other benefits. However, it can also cause serious side effects if you take large doses.
This article reviews: what niacin is
how it works
its benefits
how to know if you should supplement with it Share on Pinterest Anjelika Gretskaia/Getty Images.
What Is Niacin?
The key role of niacin in your body is to synthesize the coenzymes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), which are involved in over 400 biochemical reactions in your body — mainly related to obtaining energy from the food you eat This also means that your body can excrete excess amounts of the vitamin through urine if they are not needed Its key role is in the formation of NAD and NADP, which help your body process components from food into usable energy.
Why Do People Take Niacin?
It’s sometimes prescribed in combination with statins for cholesterol control, such as rosuvastatin (Crestor, Ezallor), simvastatin, fluvastatin (Lescol), atorvastatin (Lipitor) and pravastatin (Pravachol). However, niacin is only effective as a cholesterol treatment at fairly high doses.
Deficiency Symptoms
In the past, niacin deficiency was common, especially in the Southern States of the U.S. Now, however, most people get enough vitamin B-3 in their diet.
The condition can be fatal. Factors that can lead to low levels of B-3 include: having a diet low in tryptophans or a condition that reduces the body’s ability to convert tryptophan to niacin, such as Hartnup disease or carcinoid syndrome
undernutrition, for example, due to alcohol use disorder, anorexia, and inflammatory bowel disease
a low intake of vitamin B-2, B-6, or iron, as this can reduce the amount of tryptophan that converts to niacin Click here to find out more about vitamin B-3 deficiency.
Uses In Medicine
In the past, some people have combined vitamin B-3 with statin use as a treatment to control cholesterol.