One of the eight B vitamins, niacin is an especially important nutritional supplement. The main purpose of the nutrient centers on turning food into energy in the body, which also functions to keep the skin and nerves healthy. As such, niacin serves as an effective preventative measure and even a treatment option for a wide range of conditions.
Also known as vitamin B3, niacin is a water-soluble vitamin. The vitamin possesses a number of positive qualities and plays a role in the catabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and alcohol.
Niacin is a nutrient found in a number of common food sources. Anchovies, beef, whole wheat bread, beans, cheese, chicken, eggs, fish, lamb, leafy vegetables, and legumes are among the most abundant sources of niacin; however, other food sources also contain the vitamin.
While fresh food options are the best sources of any vitamin, particularly vitamin B3, the nutrient can also be found as an individual supplement and as a component of B complex vitamins or even multivitamins. In any form, niacin supplementation is effective for treating and preventing a number of health conditions.
As with any nutrient, vitamin B3 carries specific consequences associated with both deficiency and overconsumption. As such, special care must be taken when using the supplement. Nonetheless, the nutrient possesses a number of beneficial qualities that support good health.
While niacin possesses a wide array of health benefits, five of them stand out among the rest. The nutrient is considered a component of significantly decreasing heart disease, lowering the levels of bad cholesterol, elevating the levels of good cholesterol, reducing specific health concerns, and producing energy in the cells. With these advantages and more, vitamin B3 is considered an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease, cataracts, osteoarthritis, type-1 diabetes, pellagra, and others.
While a balanced diet is one of the best defenses for a wide range of health conditions, specific nutritional supplements, such as niacin, also offer a great deal of health support. Vitamin B3 is an effective treatment for a variety of conditions and also serves as a preventative supplement for various conditions.
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