4 minVitamin B3, also known as niacin, is an important vitamin that helps support various processes in our body. From converting food into energy to maintaining healthy skin and supporting your cholesterol, this vitamin plays an important role. In addition, vitamin B3 is part of the powerful B complex. In this guide, you can read more about the functions of vitamin B3, which foods contain it and what you can do if you suspect you have a deficiency.
In this article, you can read
- What vitamin B3 is and what forms it comes in
- What functions vitamin B3 performs in your body
- Which foods contain vitamin B3
- How much vitamin B3 you need per day
- What happens when you have a vitamin B3 deficiency or excess
- When a supplement can be useful
What is vitamin B3
Vitamin B3 is a water-soluble vitamin that your body needs to convert what you eat into energy. It helps your body convert carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy. It also supports your skin, muscles and nervous system.
Forms of vitamin B3
Vitamin B3 comes in two forms:
- Nicotinic acid (niacin): This is the form of vitamin B3 that your body can use directly.
- Nicotinamide: This form can be converted by your body into nicotinic acid and vice versa. Both forms work in a similar way.
What is vitamin B3 good for?
Vitamin B3 fulfils several important functions in the body, including:
- Energy production: Vitamin B3 helps your body extract energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
- Healthy skin: It supports the health of your skin and mucous membranes.
- DNA repair: Vitamin B3 helps your body repair damaged DNA, which is necessary for cell renewal and repair.
- Keeping cholesterol in balance: Vitamin B3 can increase HDL (‘good’) cholesterol and lower LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol, which is good for your heart.
Vitamin B3 in food
Good sources include meat (such as chicken, beef and pork), fish (such as tuna and salmon), potatoes, whole grains, legumes, nuts and green vegetables. Mushrooms, avocados and wholemeal bread also make a valuable contribution. Wholemeal products contain more niacin than refined grain products, because a large proportion of the B vitamins are lost when grains are ground into white flour.
In addition to direct intake through food, your body can produce vitamin B3 itself from the amino acid tryptophan, a building block of proteins. Tryptophan is found in protein-rich products such as eggs, milk, cheese, meat and soy. Other nutrients, such as vitamins B2 (riboflavin) and B6, are also needed to convert tryptophan into niacin, which means that a well-balanced diet is important for this internal production.
Vitamin B3 deficiency
A vitamin B3 deficiency can cause various symptoms, such as red and flaky skin, a painful tongue, fatigue, sleep problems, anxiety and depression. You may also experience a loss of appetite and bloating. Sometimes injuries, fever or certain medications can increase the need for vitamin B3.
Vitamin B3 excess
Too much vitamin B3 from food is usually not harmful, but high doses of supplements can cause side effects. You may experience a red, warm face, itching or abdominal discomfort.
Recommended amount
Recommended daily allowance for adults:
- Men and women: 1.6 mg/MJ*
- Pregnant women: 16 mg/day
- During breastfeeding: 20 mg/day
* Because the amount of B3 you need depends on the energy (number of calories) you consume, the Health Council of the Netherlands has set the value from 2018 onwards in milligrams per amount of energy.
Recommended daily allowance for babies, toddlers and children:
- From 6-11 months: 2 mg/day
- From 1-3 years: 4 mg/day
- From 4-8 years: 7 mg/day
- From 9-13 years: 11 mg/day
- From 14-17 years (boys): 17 mg/day
- From 14-17 years (girls): 13 mg/day
Acceptable upper limit
Because too much niacin can have negative effects on health, an upper limit has been set. This depends on the form of niacin:
- From 1-3 years: 2 mg nicotinic acid / 150 mg nicotinamide
- From 4-6 years: 3 mg nicotinic acid / 220 mg nicotinamide
- 7-10 years: 4 mg nicotinic acid / 350 mg nicotinamide
- 11-14 years: 6 mg nicotinic acid / 500 mg nicotinamide
- 15-17 years: 8 mg nicotinic acid / 700 mg nicotinamide
- 18 years and older: 10 mg nicotinic acid / 900 mg nicotinamide
Need a vitamin B3 supplement?
If you have symptoms that indicate a deficiency in vitamin B3, a supplement may help. Your need for vitamin B3 may also increase during times of illness, injury or when taking medication. In that case, consider taking a vitamin B3 supplement to support your health.
