The body can manufacture its own niacin using the amino acid tryptophan. Someone who is deficient in B1, B2, and B6 cannot produce their own niacin. A lack of niacin can create a negative personality change.
The Recommended Daily Allowance is 12 to 18mg for adults. It is essential for synthesis of sex hormones (estrogen, progestrone, teststerone), as well as cortisone, thyroxine, and insulin. It is necessary for a healthy nervous system and brain function.
When taking niacin, remember that it can create a flushing and itching of the skin. This is not serious and disappears in about twenty minutes. Niacinamide is generally used to minimize this effect.
Proper niacin aids in promoting a healthy digestive system, alleviates gastrointestinal disturbances, gives you healthy-looking skin, helps prevent and ease severity of migraine headaches, increases circulation and reduces high blood pressure, eases attacks of diarrhea, reduces the unpleasant symptoms of vertigo in Meniere's syndrome, increases energy through proper utilization of food, helps eliminate canker sores and bad breath, and reduces cholesterol.
The best natural sources are liver, lean meat, whole wheat products, brewer's yeast, kidney, wheat germ, fish, eggs, roated peanuts, the white meat of poultry, avocados, dates, figs, and prunes.
Niacin is essentially nontoxic but does carry some side effects from doses above 100mg. Some people might experience burning or itching of the skin. Do not give to animals, especially dogs.
Enemies of niacin are water, sufa drugs, alcohol, food-processing, sleeping pills, and estrogen.
Increase your niacin intake if you have a problem with your cholesterol. If you are taking antibiotics and have severe flushes of the skin when taking niacin, you might be better off taking niacinamide.
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