Vitamin B3 Niacin Info

Vitamin B3 Niacin is a member of the B complex family vitamins. Also known as niacin or just as B3, or as niacinamide, Vitamin B3 Niacin has many potent therapeutic capabilities and helps perform critical functions within the body. Like all the other B vitamins, it plays an important role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It also helps in the product of hormones, in maintaining the integrity of cells, as well as in the formulation of red blood cells.

According to Dr. W. Henry Sebrell, next to thiamin, it is "the second most important of the B vitamins for all-around good health." Food sources of Vitamin B3 Niacin are: shelled, roasted peanuts, eggs, lean meats, milk products, poultry, brewer's yeast, whole grain breads, whole grain cereals, tuna, and mackerel. A good quality, pharmaceutical grade supplement can also provide you with the needed Vitamin B3 niacin or niacinamide.

Vitamin B3 Benefits

What are some of the Vitamin B3 benefits? Let's talk about those now. In addition to the core functions it performs as discussed in the previous section, it also helps lessen joint discomfort of arthritis sufferers; it helps prevent heart disease as well as reverse it -- according to Dr. Sebrell and Edwin Boyle, M.D. former clinical professor of the Medical University of South Carolina.

It also helps in preventing senility and in actually reversing senility in elderly patients, according to Dr. Sebrell. Insomnia also demonizes many but with regular doses of 100 mg of Vitamin B3 Niacin every evening before bed, insomnia sufferers would benefit thereby, so says Dr. Sebrell.

It also helps treat depression and balance mood swings as it promotes good function of nerve cells -- a related function to depression and insomnia patients. It is also helpful in the slowing of type 1 diabetes. Large doses of niacinamide appear to help complications of insulin-dependent diabetes and researchers say there is promise that it may help to actually reverse its development.

According to Cancer Research (45:809-14; 3609-14, 1985) and the Journal of National Cancer Institute (73:767-70, 1984) "niacinamide is useful in preventing and decreasing cancers of the kidneys, mammary glands, and pancreas." What about Niacin HDL and cholesterol? In actuality, one of the main vitamin B3 Niacin benefits is that Niacin helps to increase HDL (high-density lipins) cholesterol levels. This is the healthy, good cholesterol.

As heart disease is the #1 killer in the Western world and high cholesterol being one of the culprits in that unsavory statistic, this is significant information. Researchers say that it is the most effective medication for increasing HDL cholesterol -- astonishing as Niacin is not a "medication" but a vitamin.

Vitamin B3 Niacin Precautions

When taken in dosages of 100 milligrams or more, one will notice the characteristic niacin flush action. When this happens, the skin turns red, the skin tingles, and some itchiness may occur. Why is this so? This biological response is due to the enlarging of blood vessels and the release of histamine and heparin into the bloodstream. Incidentally, be advised that niacinamide is another form of niacin that doesn't produce this reaction, but niacinamide is essentially worthless in reducing fat levels in the bloodstream.

However, the best Niacin supplement is usually niacinamide and this is best. You should lose fat through a low calorie diet coupled with aerobic exercise.

If you've explored other pages on this Nutritional-Supplement-Bible.com site, you know we always advise that pregnant and/or nursing women should consult with a doctor before taking any supplement. That is the case here as well. Err on the side of caution. Those with a medical condition such as hepatitis C or cirrhosis of the liver (common in alcoholics), please consult with your doctor first before taking vitamin B3 niacin.

Lastly for this section, be advised that sugar or sucrose can severely deplete niacin levels in the blood. Thus, it's advisable to limit your sugar intake. Vitamin B3 Niacin RDA is as follows: Men and women over 50 need daily niacin intake of between 30 and 50 mg. For those under 50, 14 for women and 16 mg is a good amount.

Choose a Quality Vitamin B3 Niacin Supplement

Choosing quality supplements today is difficult as there are hundreds and hundreds of them out there. The following criteria will be helpful to you in not only selecting a Vitamin B3 Niacinamide supplement, but in selecting supplements in general.

1. The supplements should be produced at pharmaceutical standard GMP registered facilities. Nutritional supplements are not regulated by FDA and as such fraud is rampant with many so-called supplements containing contaminants with 1 in 5 not having the proclaimed nutrients.

2. Ensure the supplement manufacturer has a Certificate of Analysis (COA) on file for review by you the customer thus confirming the potency of the herbal ingredients listed on the label.

3. If the multivitamin has herbal extracts, make sure they're standardized extracts.

4. Make sure the Vitamin B3 niacin has the other B complex vitamins as well as they work synergistically together.

5. Niacinamide is the form of Vitamin B3 Niacin that doesn't cause the niacin flushing feeling and this is what is most often used in good dietary supplements. You want Niacinamide in your supplement.

Recommendation

After a lot of research, we found a company that offers GMP compliant products that are pharmaceutical grade quality. Headquartered in New Zealand, which has one of the strictest regulatory standards in the world even surpassing FDA standards, they produce "nutraceutical" supplements that are over 80% assimilable.

Their flagship multivitamin multimineral supplement product not only has vitamin B3 niacin as niacinamide, but the full B complex in a scientifically formulated formula containing vitamins, minerals, trace and specialty minerals, and nutrient-rich enzymes.

I've been taking their flagship pharmaceutical grade quality vitamin supplement for more than a year now and can attest to its benefits. We've experience greater energy, better sleep, better skin tone, increased cognitive functions, and overall better health.

I hope this Vitamin B3 Niacin web page has been useful to you.

Yours in health, hope, and harmony,
Nutritional-Supplement-Bible.com