Daily Fit Tip: Get your niacin!

by Jennifer Jordan (Subscribe to Jennifer Jordan's posts)
Feb 20th 2007 6:05AM

Categories: Daily Fit Tip, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements

A recent article published in Molecular Cell brought to light the virtues of a vitamin rarely given consideration--niacin. According to a recent study of niacin one of its molecules might lead scientists to a method of slowing the aging process.

I've always known to get enough calcium, vitamin D and vitamin C, and I know just which foods supply the recommended daily doses of each. Niacin, however, is a rather foreign concept to me. A quick scan of the labels of my non-perishables revealed a bias: while the daily allowance percentages were noted for vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and even iron, no consideration was given to niacin.

So just what is niacin, where does it come from, and most importantly, is it important in our diet? Formally known as nicotinic acid and vitamin B-3, niacin is part of the vitamin B complex. It can be found in many protein friendly foods such as dairy, meat, nuts and eggs. Niacin assists in the functioning of the digestive system and in the conversion of food to energy. It also aides in the function of skin and nerves.

According to the study conducted by the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia nicotinamide, a part of niacin, may be the key to developing anti-aging drugs. Nicotinamide inhibits sirtuins, found on enzymes, from production by binding to them. Scientists are hoping to use the findings to enable sirtuin production, which has been found to extend the lives of worms. Worms are a far cry from humans, but the research has to start somewhere, right?

Scientists contend that while the aging ois inevitable, this study close the door on age-related illnesses such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Consuming niacin as part of your daily diet will not halt the aging process, but it does play an important role in basic bodily functions. Niacin is also relatively easy to find. In addition to the foods mentioned above good quantities of niacin can be found in poultry and fish. Lesser amounts can be found in legumes and some enriched breads.

If none of these foods are options, consider taking a b-complex vitamin. If you take that route, make sure to stick to the recommended guidelines. Too much niacin in the system can lead to ulcers and liver problems.

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Comments (23)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Peggy 2-22-2007 @ 4:01PM

just a note. I'm not allergic to anything BUT niacin. I discovered this when I took it and broke out into a rash of circular spots just about all over my body. I stayed away from it, however, one time I tried "Red Bull" drink. My hands and feet started itching terribly, and I was considering going to the emergency room. It lasted about two hours. I looked at the ingredients and niacin was in it.

Cindy 2-22-2007 @ 4:00PM

If sirtuin production is found to extend the lives (of worms), and Nicotinamide (aka niacin) inhibits sirtuins from production by binding to them, wouldn't Nicotinamide (aka niacin) inhibit the process of extending life? Just wondering....

Lucky 2-22-2007 @ 5:39PM

So how much niacin are you suppose to have daily??? Is the amount in B complex enough for daily dosage?

lefty789 2-24-2007 @ 7:24PM

ive been taking niacin for one year 500mg but im still
aging just like before

Diana 2-24-2007 @ 7:24PM

Niacin increases blood cirulation, especially at the skin surface. Peggy, that reaction you had wasn't necessarily "allergic". You may be just particularly sensitive to niacin. Too much niacin will cause skin to flush, blotch, etc and give you an itchy, creepy-crawly sensation. Perhaps you get plenty of niacin in your daily diet, and any additional niacin pushes you over the edge.

fruitybasketcase 2-24-2007 @ 7:23PM

I'm having some confusion here. I'm obviously not fully trained in any way, but I'm in the process of medical training. From what I recall, sirtuins on the enzymes are what tell the body if it needs to work to maintain tissue or to reproduce, by way of measuring energy expenditure. They're the reason your body knows to up the mitochondria count.
Halting the process of cell division within tissue would be devastating. Cell division isn't a bad thing; in fact, it's like a refresher. The new cells remember the age of the old cell, but have had less "stage time."

Increasing the amount of sirtuins in the body is understandable though, such as in the case of worms, because the body would have more energy and a drive to repair itself.

Doesn't that indicate that niacin would in fact be a death promotor?

Billy 2-24-2007 @ 7:22PM

Regarding the article about Niacin (Vitamin B-3) and its effect on longevity in worms, I wanted to clarify the fact that as one responder noted incorrected that Niacin was/is aka Niaciamide. This is not correct. Niacin is also known as nicotinic acid (which does cause flushing of the skin in some people) and Niacinamide is not nicotinic acid (Niacin). It is chemically similar in some ways and different in some ways, most notably that it does NOT usually cause flushing of the skin and has a different chemical formula from Niacin. I won't bore you with the differences, but they are not the same drug.
Niacin is used sometimes for circulation and also to lower cholesterol .

Billy 2-24-2007 @ 7:23PM

I have seen some people take Niacinamide because it does not cause flushing of the skin in some people like niacin sometimes does. In my 40+ years of being a pharmacist, I see very little use of niacinamide, but niacin is fairly popular. I would say we need more case studies on longevity.

Jack Walton 2-24-2007 @ 7:22PM

I'm 68 yrs old and I take 1500mg of niacin 30 minutes after I take a 325mg aspirin tablet, daily. Only when I fail to take it 30 minutess later, do I have a rush from the niacin. So far it has not bothered me. I take this amount to lower my cholesteral.

John Breidinger 2-24-2007 @ 7:21PM

I was just told by my MD to increase my niacin intake from 250 to 500 mg daily to help reduce cholesterol, and particularly to increase HDL or good cholesterol. I mentioned the flush or rash and he said to take my 80 mg preventative aspirin 30 minutes before the niacin. I do so and experience no flushing or rash.

Ron 2-24-2007 @ 7:20PM

No flush niacin, 500mg, has kept my cholesterol around 165 and my hdl around 75. I also try to eat well and I have been exercising and weight trining for 47 of my 61 years.
When I don't take it, the lipid profile changes; once I take it, the results are fine.
For me, it is a better choice than the statins. You can look up niacin in a PDR.

De 2-24-2007 @ 7:20PM

Note to Peggy--- You are probably not allergic to niacin, but instant release like you would have in just taking a regular supplement or energy drink. The red flushing, rash and itching are common side effects of niacin "toxicity" per se. You can probably tolerate "slo-niacin", as it is sustained release. Ask your doctor what he thinks about you giving it a try. Niacin also lowers cholesterol.

Ron 2-24-2007 @ 7:17PM

Niacin may be found in a PDR. 500 mg of no flush niacin was used befor the statins. Now, with innumerable problems linked to the statins, many, including myself, have returned to niacin with excellent results. Not using your mouth as an entertainment center is a necessity when it comes to diet.
Ron

jerry 2-24-2007 @ 7:15PM

I've taken 2000mg of niacin (the max. dose)Daily to increase my hdl it's slowing working and with minimal side effects

J Jordan 2-26-2007 @ 6:58PM

I'd like to know more about this. Did your doctor recommend this or did you read about it, etc.? What are the side effects?

J Jordan 2-26-2007 @ 6:58PM

I appreciate your statement about our mouths not being entertainment centers--it's a great image and a good way to think about what we eat.

Arlene 2-26-2007 @ 6:54PM

I took niacin and had the worst itchy red rash on both arms I ever had in my life, my doctor took me off it immediately and put me on zetia..so far, so good.

Dennis 2-26-2007 @ 6:52PM

Thanks De some people don't realize supplements have side effects also.

Deane 2-26-2007 @ 6:53PM

Congratulations to posters "Cindy" and "Fruitybasketcase" for spotting the serious flaw in this article's logic. You are both correct.... a vitamin that decreases sirtuin activity would be a BAD thing... kind of like red wine in reverse: it would likely shorten lifespan, not increase it. The author of the article above, Jennifer Jordan, cites without critical review an MSN article on February 9th by a guy named Robert Preidt. The headline of Mr. Preidt's article... though not the article itself... completely mangles the research by the original scientists at Wistar. In fact, that headline so completely mangles their work so completely that it is difficult to tell what their original meaning was.

It seems most likely that the researchers' original point was that THE FACT THAT nicotinamide inhibits sirtuins might lead to an interesting way of activating sirtuins, by blocking such inhibition activity by nicotinamide. In other words, nicotinamide binds to a newly discovered sirtuin-inactivating site, and if you could prevent that you could keep sirtuins active and live longer. So the real point the researchers were making was that nicotinamide inactivation of sirtuins may LEAD to development of a drug that prevents that process, which would enhance healthy lifespan.

Congrats to Cindy and Fruity for spotting the error in logic that Miss Jordan (apparently grasping only the incorrect headline of Mr Preidt's article) missed...

(This from a PhD biochemist...)