B Vitamins - Niacin (Vitamin B3)

B VITAMINS – NIACIN (VITAMIN B3)

Niacin (Vitamin B-3): Niacin is a B vitamin that's made and used by your body to turn food into energy. Niacin is essential to keep your:

• nervous system healthy
• digestive system healthy
• skin healthy

Foods with niacin:  Niacin (vitamin B-3) is often part of a daily multivitamin, but most people get enough niacin from the food they eat. Foods rich in niacin include: 

• Red meat: beef, beef liver, pork.
• Poultry.
• Fish.
• Brown rice.
• Fortified cereals and breads.
• Nuts, seeds.
• Legumes.
• Fruits: Bananas, avocado, papayas, and raisins.

Symptoms of niacin deficiency: The niacin deficiency is rare mostly in industrialized countries as it is well-absorbed from most foods and is added to many foods and multivitamins. A person who is deficient in niacin may experience:

• Pellagra - a dark or scaly rash to develop on skin areas exposed to sunlight.
• Bright redness of the tongue.
• Constipation/diarrhea.
• Depression.
• Headache.
• Fatigue.
• Memory loss.
• Hallucination.

People at highest risk of niacin deficiency include:

• Limited diets - People whose diets are limited in both variety and quantity of foods, such as those living in poverty or who are very ill and cannot eat a balanced diet, are at increased risk. Developing countries that eat corn or maize as a main food source are at risk for pellagra, as these foods are low in both absorbable niacin and tryptophan.
• Chronic alcoholism - The absorption of several nutrients, particularly water-soluble vitamins including the B family, is decreased with excessive alcohol intake.
• Carcinoid syndrome - This is a disease of slow-growing cancer cells in the gut that release a chemical called serotonin. The syndrome causes tryptophan in the diet to be converted into serotonin rather than niacin, which increases the risk of decreased niacin.

Prescription niacin:  The niacin is prescribed to help control one's cholesterol. In otherwords to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — the "good cholesterol" that helps remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad cholesterol", from your bloodstream.  Despite niacin's ability to raise HDL , the research suggests that niacin therapy isn't linked to lower rates of death, heart attack or stroke.

Niacin and a related nutrient called niacinamide are used to treat or prevent niacin deficiency (pellagra). 

Side effects of prescription niacin with proper doses: If it is taken orally in appropriate amounts, niacin look to be safe.

Side effects of high doses of prescription niacin : It can lead to

• Severe skin flushing combined with dizziness
• Rapid heartbeat
• Itching
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Gout
• Liver damage
• Diabetes

Niacin Interactions: The possible reactions with

• Alcohol - Using niacin with alcohol might increase the risk of liver damage and worsen niacin side effects, such as flushing and itching.
• Allopurinol (Zyloprim) - If you're taking niacin and have gout, you might need to take more of this gout medicine to control your gout.
• Anticoagulant and anti-platelet drugs, herbs and supplements - These types of drugs, herbs and supplements reduce blood clotting. Taking niacin with them might increase your risk of bleeding.
• Blood pressure drugs, herbs and supplements - Niacin might have an additive effect when you take blood pressure drugs, herbs or supplements. This could increase your risk of low blood pressure (hypotension).
• Chromium - Taking niacin with chromium might lower your blood sugar. If you have diabetes and take niacin and chromium, closely monitor your blood sugar levels.
• Diabetes drugs - If you have diabetes, niacin can interfere with blood glucose control. You might need to adjust the dose of your diabetes drugs.
• Hepatotoxic drugs, herbs and supplements - These drugs, herbs and supplements, like niacin, cause liver damage.
• Statins - Research indicates that taking niacin with these cholesterol medications offers little additional benefit when compared with statins alone, and might increase the risk of side effects.
• Zinc - Taking zinc with niacin might worsen niacin side effects, such as flushing and itching.

Quantum of niacin: The required niacin quantity is about

• 17mg a day for men
• 13mg a day for women (not pregnant)

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