Niacin, or B₃, is a water-soluble B vitamin, also known as nicotinic acid. Another form of niacin is nicotinamide which is what niacin is converted into in the body. Nicotinamide does not cause the flushing often associated with high niacin intake, but also does not provide the same benefits as some of these benefits are the result of the actual conversion of niacin into niacinamide within the body. Niacin is also available as inositol hexiniacinate which does not cause flushing and has become quite popular for this very reason. The body makes small amounts of niacin itself using the amino acid tryptophan. Anyone interested in niacin supplementation should also research trytophan and consider supplementing with that as well.

The body needs niacin for many of its functions including DNA repair, energy conversion, liver function and hormone production. Niacin can lower cholesterol and is important in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Sever niacin deficiency results in pellagra which causes a rash, disgestive inflammation and issues, mental confusion and finally death if left unchecked. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of niacin for healthy men and women is 16 mg and 14 mg, respectively. An upper intake, based on the level at which adverse side effects such as flushing will appear, is 35 mg for healthy adults. Though the body is able to make small amounts of niacin, most of this vitamin must come from the foods we eat or vitamin and mineral supplements.

Most people can easily get the RDA of niacin through the foods they eat. Foods with a high niacin content include proteins such as chicken, salmon and tuna. On average, people in the United States already get slightly above the RDA on a daily basis. There are numerous other foods which provide varying levels of niacin. However, the RDA is meant to be a guideline for intake levels which will prevent disease, not necessarily the same as optimum health and disease prevention and treatment. This is where supplementation comes in.

Niacin supplementation is used to treat a variety of diseases and conditions. Some of its uses are well accepted while others are not yet commonly suggested by the mainstream medical community. The use of niacin to lower cholesterol is a widely accepted practice. Many people also take niacin for the prevention of artherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and also to prevent a second heart attack. Additional diseases which may be positively affected by niacin supplementation include diabetes, osteroarthiritis, macular degeneration and a variety of mental illnesses including anxiety and depression.

Therapuetic dosing ranges of niacin depend on the disease being treated. Doses of anywhere from slightly above the RDA to several times the RDA are common, depending on what is being treated and where you get your information. Generally, a dosing range is given for the therapuetic use of niacin in treating a specific disease. It is usually best to start at the lower end of this range and adjust dosages from there, depending on effectiveness and side effects.

Niacin is a very safe supplement. As a water-soluble vitamin, your body excretes all unused niacin through the urine every day. As mentioned earlier in this article, flusing can occur when taking niacin in high doses, considered to be 75 mg per day or more. An itchy feeling or rash can sometimes accompany the flushing. Niacin causes blood vessel dilation which is what allows the flushing to occur. Both flushing and an itch or rash, while irritating, are perfectly normal side effects of high niacin intake.

Other side effects which may be experienced include diarrhea, headache, dry skin, other digestive issues such as vomiting and bloating, and a sudden decrease in blood pressure. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following: dark urine, blurred vision, jaundice, or a fast, irregular heartbeat. This reactions are extremely rare.

Niacin has never been known to be fatal due to overdose. If you are simply eating high niacin foods, it is not possible to overdose. Supplements could be fatal but only if taken in unbelievably high doses (hundreds of thousands of mg per day). I've never seen anywhere near this amount recommended by anyone.

As with pretty much any supplement, vitamin or mineral, there are some people who should not take niacin. You should always consult your doctor before taking any supplements, especially if you plan on taking megadoses (defined as 10 or more times the RDA). Anyone with existing health conditions or who is already under the care of a doctor should be even more careful to ok any new diet or pills with their health care provider.

I don't want to scare anyone off from from adding a good, high quality niacin supplement to their diet. If you aren't already taking a multivitiman you should do so as most will provide you with a nice array of B vitamins and help you "cover you bases" so to speak. If you are already taking a multivitamin, you could consider a B complex vitamin supplement. If you would like to use niacin for the treatment of a disease or prevention of a specific disease, you are probably best off buying a supplement containing only niacin. Read on to learn more about the different forms in which niacin can be purchased and which might be best for you.

Niacin is available in several different forms. You can get plain old niacin. This is most likely to cause flushing. There is also an extended or slow release version which may be less likely to cause unwanted side effects. Finally, as mentioned elsewhere in this article, there in a no-flush niacin, called inositol hexiniacinate which does not cause flushing even in high doses. Please note that I am not a doctor; however, I have personally taken the no flush variety before and this is what I would offer as my personal recommendation to all of you as well.