Fasting for Weight Loss and Health blog: Vitamin B3 - Benefits, Deficiency Symptoms And Food Sources

Vitamin B3 is a water-soluble vitamin vital for energy release in tissues and cells. Vitamin B3 is also called niacin. Like all the B-complex vitamins, it is important for converting calories from protein, fat and carbohydrates into energy. But it also helps the digestive system function and promotes a normal appetite and healthy skin and nerves.

Niacin plays an important role in ridding the body of toxic and harmful chemicals. It also helps the body make various sex and stress-related hormones in the adrenal glands and other parts of the body. Niacin is effective in improving circulation and reducing cholesterol levels in the blood. Niacin needs can be partially met by eating foods containing protein because the human body is able to convert tryptophan, an amino acid, into niacin.

Functions and benefits of Vitamin B3

Like its fellow B-complex vitamins, niacin is important in energy production. Two unique forms of vitamin B3 are essential for conversion of the body's proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into usable energy. Niacin is also used to synthesize starch that can be stored in the body's muscles and liver for eventual use as an energy source.

Since the ingestion of large therapeutic amounts of nicotinic acid usually produces a flushing reaction, niacin prescribed for nutritional deficiency is frequently taken as nicotinamide, though the benefits and reactions are not identical to the nicotinic acid form of niacin. Niacin and niacinamide also have different applications. It its niacinamide form, it is useful in arthritis and early-onset type I diabetes; niacin is an effective reducer of high cholesterol levels.

Recommended Dosage for Vitamin B3

* 0-6 months: 2 milligrams
* 6-12 months: 4 milligrams
* 1-3 years: 6 milligrams
* 4-8 years: 8 milligrams
* 13mg for adult women up to 50 years; 12mg for adult women over 50 years
* 17mg for adult men up to 50 years; 16mg for adult men over 50 years

One should not take more than 150 mg of niacin, because this leads to facial flushing. Very large intakes (>3000 mg) may cause liver damage.

Food sources of Vitamin B3

The best dietary sources of vitamin B3 are found in beets, brewer's yeast, beef liver, beef kidney, pork, turkey, chicken, veal, fish, salmon, swordfish, tuna, sunflower seeds, and peanuts.

Deficiency Symptoms of Vitamin B3

Its unique relationship with energy production, vitamin B3 deficiency is often associated with general weakness, muscular weakness, and lack of appetite. Skin infections and digestive problems can also be associated with niacin deficiency.

Severe lack of niacin causes the deficiency disease pellagra, whereas a mild deficiency slows down the metabolism decreasing cold tolerance. Extemely high doses of niacin can cause niacin maculopathy, a thickening of the macula and retina which leads to blurred vision and blindness. The recommended daily allowance of niacin is 2-12 mg a day for children, 14 mg a day for women, 16 mg a day for men, and 18 mg a day for pregnant or breast-feeding women. Over 20 mg per day may produce hot flushes lasting 15-30 minutes in duration.