The Alphabet of Vitamins – Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

You hear all about them in every day conversation but what do you really know about vitamins? Everyone knows that they’re good for us but how are they good for us? Give us the details, please!

Vitamin B3, or Niacin, is water-soluble and involved in energy production from dietary intake. It supports the transformation of food into useful energy and also supports a healthy nervous system, brain, digestive system, and skin. Vitamin B3 can be found in many foods but chicken, leafy green vegetables, corn, wheat and fish are the best sources.

Niacin is essential for energy production so it helps turn the food in your stomach into the energy your cells and body need to function. It completes these important functions because it’s part of two coenzymes. It’s very similar in function to the coenzymes in which Riboflavin is involved – like the transfer of electrons in reactions, especially during the molecular breakdown of macronutrients. Electron transfers provide a lot of the energy your body uses and Niacin plays important roles in these processes.

If you don’t get enough Niacin, you could be in danger of developing Pellagra. Pellagra is a systemic disease characterized by diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia, and death – which usually appear in this order. Contracting this disease isn’t a huge concern because Vitamin B3 is widely distributed in plant and animal foods and intake is essentially non-toxic below 50 milligrams a day. So you don’t have to overload on it to make sure you’re okay and there’s no worries if you do indeed go overboard on it.

So let’s review – Niacin is an essential water-soluble vitamin critical for energy production and supporting many internal systems for your body. All extremely good reasons to make Vitamin B3 a part of your daily life and nutritional plan.