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Vitamin B3 (unspecified) — answers to niacin

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A B vitamin the body needs for energy metabolism, existing in two common forms — nicotinic acid and nicotinamide — either of which a label may simply call vitamin B3.

Why it’s used

Taken to meet daily niacin needs and to correct or prevent deficiency, which is rare in populations with reliable food access.

What the evidence is for

preventing and correcting niacin deficiency.

What the evidence says

NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements describes niacin as essential for normal metabolism, with an established role in preventing and correcting deficiency (pellagra). Higher, pharmacologic doses of nicotinic acid have been studied for lipid effects, but that is a distinct use from ordinary dietary supplementation and carries its own separate evidence base.

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 NE per day depending on sex; the tolerable upper intake level for supplemental niacin is 35 mg per day, per NIH ODS, set mainly to avoid flushing.

Educational information, not medical or safety advice. Consult a professional for allergies or medical concerns.