Vitamin B3 Niacin Deficiency

With Vitamin B3 Niacin, depending on which health organization opinion one values, being one of the 40 to 80 essential human nutrients.

Recommended Daily Amounts of Vitamin B3 Niacin

According to the Mayo Clinic the dietary reference intake established by the Food and Nutrition Board for niacin (in the form of niacin equivalents, 1 milligram niacin = 60 milligrams tryptophan) ranges from 14 to 18 milligrams daily for adults, with a maximum intake of 35 milligrams daily. 50 milligrams to 6 grams has been taken in divided doses for other conditions based on physician and pharmacist recommendations.

Side Effects of Vitamin B3 Niacin

One of the major side effects which occur with the taking of supplemental Vitamin B3 Niacin is flushing. This is when the skin will turn red, similar to the results of blushing, and there will also be skin irritation and a warm sensation—especially on the face, neck, and ears. Flushing normally occurs when people start taking larger clinical amounts of Vitamin B3 Niacin; however, depending on the person the flushing can occur with minimal dosages.

While the flushing normally isn’t dangerous the symptoms have been known to prevent people from taking Vitamin B3 Niacin. The intolerability of flushing is enough to have half of people stop the medical treatments which contain Vitamin B3 Niacin. Itching is also a very common side effect which accompanies flushing.

Taking aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have shown to reduce the amount of flushing which occurs by taking Vitamin B3 Niacin. The use of an antihistamine about fifteen minutes before taking a Vitamin B3 Niacin medication has also been shown to help prevent the severe effects of flushing. Manufactures have also developed slow-release Vitamin B3 Niacin. These slow-release formulas have been show to lessen the amounts of flushing or delay the effects of flushing in individuals.

Who Suffers From Vitamin B3 Niacin Deficiency?

Vitamin B3 Niacin, like many other vitamin deficiencies, is not common in the developed world countries. Vitamin B3 Niacin deficiency is very common in undeveloped nations of the world. It will normally target the physically weak in those undeveloped nation’s cultures. This included infants, children, the elderly, and the incredibly poor.

While Vitamin B3 Niacin is very common in undeveloped nations, it doesn’t mean there aren’t cases of Vitamin B3 Niacin Deficiency in developed nations. Vitamin B3 Niacin Deficiency in developed countries normally affect those who are poor and cannot eat proper meals, alcoholics who don’t eat enough proper foods, fad dieters who limit the intake of vitamin rich foods in hope of losing extra weight, the chronically sick who might suffer from a lack of vitamin absorption due to their illness, and those individuals who suffer from eating disorders.

Vitamin B3 Niacin is a water soluble vitamin, which means it is more difficult for the body to store extra amount of the vitamin in the body. This means that Vitamin B3 Niacin is needed on almost a daily level to ensure proper body and healthy functionality of the body. Not getting enough Vitamin B3 Niacin in a daily diet can lead to multiple problematic disorders.

Health Problems Whish Arise From Vitamin B3 Niacin Deficiency

Pellagra occurs in people who have Vitamin B3 Niacin deficiency. Pellagra is one of the five vitamin associated with a pandemic deficiency disease. The five include: Vitamin B3 Niacin (Pellagra), Vitamin C (scurvy), Vitamin B2 Thiamin (Beriberi), Vitamin D (rickets), and Vitamin A Deficiency (a deficiency which has no one common name, but is one of the most common of the pandemic deficiency diseases in the world).

Pellagra is classically described by three D’s—diarrhea, dermatitis, and dementia. Other symptoms include: high sensitivity to sunlight, aggression, dermatitis, alopecia, oedema, smooth beefy red glossitis, red skin lesions, insomnia, weakness, mental confusion, ataxia, paralysis of extremities, peripheral neuritis, diarrhea, dilated cardiomyopathy, and eventually dementia. The dementia is described as including psycho-sensory disturbances (impressions as being painful, annoying bright lights, odors intolerance causing nausea and vomiting, dizziness after sudden movements), psycho-motor disturbances (restlessness, tense and a desire to quarrel, increased preparedness for motor action), and emotional disturbances.

Toxicity of Vitamin B3 Niacin

There have been reports of high dosages of Vitamin B3 Niacin to cause irritation of stomach ulcers, altered blood sugar or insulin levels or uric acid concentrations. Problems with liver damage have also been associated with high dosages of Vitamin B3 Niacin. Normally these dosages are associated with the extremely high dosages recommended to individual with high cholesterol or at high risk of heart attack or heart disease.

Lactic acidosis, muscle cell damage, increased blood levels of creatine kinase—a marker of muscle damage— has been reported in multiple studies as well.

In some cases of Vitamin B3 Niacin abuse there have been reports of fatalities. Extremely high doses of Vitamin B3 Niacin can also cause niacin maculopathy—a thickening of the macula and retina which leads to blurred vision and blindness. This maculopathy is reversible after stopping Vitamin B3 Niacin intake.

How to Get the Proper Amount of Vitamin B3 Niacin in a Daily Diet?

Vitamin B3 Niacin is very important to the overall health of the body. Many studies have also shown Vitamin B3 Niacin to lower the bad cholesterol in the human body, and also raise the amount of good cholesterol as well. This means that a person needs to find a healthy way of getting the proper amount of Vitamin B3 Niacin in their daily diet.

The best way to get proper levels of Vitamin B3 Niacin is by taking a good multivitamin. A good daily multivitamin will help lead to superior health and wellness. Men and women require different levels of vitamins and minerals, so it is a good idea to find a daily multivitamin which is gender specific. Many of the top daily multivitamin manufactures will make a male and female version of their vitamin to better service the health needs of their customers. Vitamin B3 Niacin is a water-soluble vitamin, which again means it is important to get a proper amount of Vitamin B3 Niacin on a daily basis.