Niacin (B3)
Health Benefits

  1. Home
  2. Supplements

Niacin (B3) - Editor's Choice

| Modified on Feb 28, 2024
Add New Post Comments
Niacin Health Benefits

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.

What is Niacin?

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.

Health Benefits of Vitamin B3

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.

Continue reading below for feedback from Earth Clinic readers who supplement with Niacin. Do you take it? Please send us your feedback on this supplement!

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Sort by Default New Loved

Better Sleep, Mental Clarity, Smooth Skin

Posted by storycharms (Turkey ) on 06/14/2021 8 posts
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I ordered some no-flush niacinamide B3 (500mg capsule) from a reputable source after reading about its benefits for dry skin, which had recently become a problem for me. But I quickly noticed the hugely positive impact on my dreadful and seemingly entrenched insomnia, which is far more important. I confirmed the connection after researching a little more and reading some posts here on EC, and switched to taking it in the evening after dinner.

I also use a sublingual B12 spray in the mornings, which energises me. As a lacto-vegetarian with gluten intolerance, I think it's necessary to supplement with B vitamins normally supplied in diets that include meat, fish and wheat.

After 2 months I can report no negative side effects and improvement in my overall health and wellness, including better sleep, mental clarity and yes, smoother skin from head to toe!

Hives

Posted by Penny (Fresno, CA) on 06/13/2021
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Your article on niacin is timely. In 2013, I had hives so badly for months that I could barely function. Back then, my cure ended by just one good niacin rush [300ml]. Recently, I presumed it was fleas, so attacked that idea for weeks, when I then realized, NO, it's hives! I then took 300 ml. niacin, got an itchy rush, did it again a few days later, started to slowly recover. Then, a week later, BY ACCIDENT, I took 1000milligrams!! I survived it better than I thought, & now days later, I believe my full-body hives are seriously on their way OUT! True that I had to bear with rather uncontrollable itching for 1.5 hrs. via the niacin, but that's it. I'm SO relieved this idea occurred to me as a possible way to flush my skin. I was in hell. I hope this helps someone else!

ED, Arthritis, High Cholesterol

Posted by Paracelsus (Orlando, Fl) on 01/15/2018 46 posts
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Niacin eliminates ED, arthritis and improves cholesterol and much much more.

Niacin is probably the most underappreciated vitamin. I read a book on Niacin (Drs Hoffer and Saul) and put the vitamin to test on myself. Read the article on Niacin on doctoryourself dot com. I eliminated arthritis from my fingers, increased libido, erections and quality of intercourse. Niacin is supposed to have great effects on mental conditions as well. It is used to help people break addictions to alcohol. Side effects include longer life (around 3 years added life expectancy) and flushing. I only use the flush niacin not the flush free niacin. The flush free niacin helps for some conditions but not for all. Especially it does not improve cholesterol (niacin lowers LDL or bad cholesterol and increases HDL).

I take around 500mg per day which is pretty low. Dr. Hoffer and others usually prescribed 1000 mg to 3000 mg daily. I believe in adjusting the dose to where you see results. I see results at 500mg, so I haven't gone much beyond that (some days I'll take 1000mg). Also, if you want to minimize or eliminate the flush, only take Niacin on a full stomach. On an empty stomach, the flush will be intense. Also, work yourself up to higher doses. Start with 50mg 3x per day and work up to 1000 mg per day.

If I could only take one supplement, it would definitely be Niacin. It is king in my opinion.

Niacin Tips

Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Philippines) on 02/09/2014
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

The best way to take larger dose niacin is with a meal, which extends the release of niacin into the blood over a longer period of time due to digestion, thus helping to reduce the flush effect. The other thing you can do is just take an aspirin 20 mins before you take the niacin. Aspirin helps to open up the capillaries but in a different way(no flush) and this will also help to reduce the niacin flush.

I've been taking a higher dose of niacin for quite a while now, wouldn't be without it.

I've found that niacin, when taken at the higher dose, is perhaps the most relaxing vitamin or mineral that I have ever experienced (Magnesium Chloride comes pretty close though). I always sleep like a baby whenever I take 500 mgs in the evening.

If you haven't got high blood pressure or heart problems then niacinamide (no flush form) is fine to use for all its immune boosting and other health benefits.



Please note that we use cookies necessary for the functioning of our website, cookies that optimize the performance. To learn more about our cookies, how we use them and their benefits, please read our Privacy Policy