Niacin (Vitamin B3) Supplement Benefits and Dosage
Read more about niacin (B3) and its importance for brain care.
Niacin (Vitamin B3) functions
Niacin helps with the following functions:
Converting food into energy
Cellular metabolism
Niacin (Vitamin B3) dosage
The Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) is around 16mg per day. In every dose of Heights Smart Supplement, there is 30mg (equal to 3 chicken breasts or 12 medium baked potatoes) so 188% of the NRV.
Niacin research
Deficiency in niacin can result in pellagra, a systemic disease which is characterised by brain fog, psychiatric symptoms and even dementia. It is currently in trials to test improvement in cognitive function and synaptic plasticity, which could help to keep the brain healthy in people with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Niacin brain benefits
An antioxidant with an important role in cell signalling and DNA repair, niacin is key for a normally functioning nervous system.
Niacin (Vitamin B3) benefits
Essential for energy releaseÂ
Keeps skin healthy
DNA repair
Normal functioning of the nervous system
Plays well with
Vitamin B3 is available through diet, but mostly from animal sources, so those on a plant-based diet benefit from supplementation. To optimise the release of energy, it’s best consumed with other B vitamins.
Clever stuff
The brain requires niacin for the coenzymes NAD and NADP to get energy and function properly.
Evidence
Here’s a handful of relevant scientific studies on vitamin B3 (niacin).
Xu, X. J., & Jiang, G. S. (2015). Niacin-respondent subset of schizophrenia–a therapeutic review. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci, 19(6), 988-997.
Wang, W., & Liang, B. (2012). Case report of mental disorder induced by niacin deficiency. Shanghai archives of psychiatry, 24(6), 352.
Kennedy, D. O. (2016). B vitamins and the brain: mechanisms, dose and efficacy—a review. Nutrients, 8(2), 68.
Gong, B., Pan, Y., Vempati, P., Zhao, W., Knable, L., Ho, L., ... & Pasinetti, G. M. (2013). Nicotinamide riboside restores cognition through an upregulation of proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α regulated β-secretase 1 degradation and mitochondrial gene expression in Alzheimer's mouse models. Neurobiology of aging, 34(6), 1581-1588.