Niacin
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Niacin is a B-complex vitamin the body needs to convert food into energy and to make and repair DNA. It occurs naturally in meat, fish, and grains, and is also produced synthetically for fortification and supplements.
Why it’s used
Taken to meet daily niacin needs and to correct or prevent deficiency; also taken by some for its effects on blood lipids at doses far above typical dietary intake.
What the evidence is for
preventing and correcting niacin deficiency.
What the evidence says
NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements confirms niacin is essential for preventing deficiency (pellagra) and that ordinary dietary intake covers most people's needs. At much higher doses, prescription-strength niacin has evidence for altering cholesterol and triglyceride levels, but that use involves doses well above the vitamin RDA and carries a distinct evidence base and side-effect profile (notably flushing) separate from routine supplementation.
Dose studied
14–35 mg — adult RDA up to the tolerable upper intake level, per NIH ODS.
Context
The adult RDA is 14-16 mg/day depending on sex, and NIH ODS lists a tolerable upper intake level of 35 mg/day from supplements or fortified foods, above which flushing becomes common. Lipid-focused research has used extended-release forms at gram-level doses under medical supervision, a very different regimen from a standard multivitamin dose.
Educational information, not medical or safety advice. Consult a professional for allergies or medical concerns.