It is a water-soluble vitamin. Many tissues in the body convert niacin to its active forms, NAD and NADP. These forms are required for more than 400 enzymes. It has many functions such as energy production, DNA repair, cholesterol and fat production, antioxidant effect.
Where to get vitamin B3?
- Red meat,
- liver, heart, kidney,
- Chicken,
- Fish,
- Milk,
- Egg,
- Nuts,
- Legumes,
- Wholemeal bread,
- Enriched bread, cereal,
- Mushrooms,
- Banana,
- Avocado,
- Asparagus,
- Date,
- Carrot,
- Broccoli
What are the functions of vitamin B3?
- Energy production from food,
- DNA production and repair,
- antioxidant effect,
- It takes part in nucleic acid, protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism,
- It regulates blood circulation and is necessary for a healthy skin.
- It helps the central nervous system to work. Controls the advanced functions of the brain and memory,
- It is necessary for the synthesis of insulin and sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
What is the need for vitamin B3?
- 0 – 1 year old child: 4 mg/day
- 1-3 years old child: 6 mg/day
- 4-8 years old child: 8 mg/day
- 9-13 years old child: 12 mg/day
- Boy 14 years and older: 16 mg/day
- Girl 14 years and older: 14 mg/day
- Pregnancy period: 18 mg/day
- Lactation period: 17 mg/day
Normally, all your needs are met with the daily diet. But sometimes it needs reinforcement. It can be taken as niacin or tryptophan (which converts to niacin in the body) (1mg of niacin = 60mg of tryptophan).
What happens in vitamin B3 deficiency?
Vitamin B3 deficiency can occur in some cases. These:
- Not enought feeding,
- Absorption disorders,
- Alcohol addiction,
- Carcinoid syndrome (tryptophan cannot be converted to niacin, it is converted to serotonin),
- Hartnup’s Disease (tryptophan cannot be converted to niacin).
It is often seen together with other vitamin deficiencies. Possible symptoms of deficiency include:
- Depression,
- Headache,
- Weakness,
- Memory problems,
- Hallucinations,
- Pellagra Disease: Sometimes scaly, brown discoloration on the skin areas exposed to sunlight, sunburn-like appearance on the skin, bright red coloration of the tongue, digestive system problems such as constipation or diarrhea, neurological and psychological problems (depression, burnout, paranoia, suicidal tendency, memory problems, auditory and visual hallucinations), anorexia and associated death.
What happens if I take too much vitamin B3?
Excessive intake of vitamin B3 may cause skin rashes and liver damage in the future.
Possible symptoms include:
- Ringing in the ear,
- Low blood pressure,
- Weakness,
- Headache,
- Stomach ache,
- Nausea, vomiting.