Vitamin B3 plays a role in the breakdown of glucose. If a person is lacking in this vitamin, it can cause a disease called pellagra, followed by skin, digestive and nervous problems or headaches.
The body therefore needs this type of vitamin, which belongs to the group of water-soluble vitamins. For more clarity, find out in this article everything there is to know about vitamin B3, a vitamin belonging to the B group.
What is this vitamin?
Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, is one of the water-soluble vitamins, i. e. it is soluble in water. The name niacin refers to two compounds, nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, which all have similar biological activity. This vitamin, which is used to prevent pellagra, has always been known as vitamin PP.
This water-soluble vitamin can be consumed directly in the form of niacin, which is found in food, or created by the body, especially the intestinal flora, through an amino acid called tryptophan.
What is its role?
PP or niacin or B3 has many roles in the body. In the liver, it is integrated into the structure of two coenzymes: NAD and NADP. It is essential for the activity of several enzymes.
It is involved in the production of energy in cells, in the constitution of various lipids and their derivatives such as bile salts and steroid hormones.
It can repair DNA if it is damaged. It is involved in the functioning of the nervous system.
Vitamin PP has a relationship with other B vitamins, particularly B1 and B2.
This proves its role in the body. It is involved in the fight against hypercholesterolemia, it stops atherosclerosis, optimises blood circulation and reduces skin irritations.
Vitamin B3 for sportsmen and women
B3 is one of the essential vitamins and minerals for athletes for many reasons. For a non-sporting person, the recommended nutritional intake* is 11 mg for women and 14 mg for men.
For sportsmen and women, an additional 2. 5 mg per day is required. Like the other B vitamins, B3 is involved in the process of energy production during physical effort.
Where to find this vitamin?
Vitamin B3 is very abundant in certain animal foods such as offal, poultry, meat and oily fish. Foods such as brewer's yeast, peanuts, sesame and sunflower seeds, wheat bran and germ, avocado, mushrooms and peas are rich in vitamin B3.
It should be noted that wholegrain cereals contain at least twice as
much as refined products.
Here are several examples of foods: 100 g of
calf's liver, sautéed or braised lamb, provide 17 to 22 mg of niacin.
For the same amount, a chicken can provide 15 to 20 mg and a grilled pig 5 mg. 100 g of salmon is worth 18 mg of niacin. 100 g of canned tuna guarantees 16-18 mg of niacin.
For 100 g of smoked sturgeon, there will be 17 mg of this vitamin, just like for 100 g of duck. The nutritional value of 100 g of rabbit is 7 to 8 mg. 60 ml of peanut oil provides 6 to 7 mg of niacin and 100 g of raw or steamed oysters provides 2 to 4 mg.
The benefits of vitamin B supplementation3
The benefits of vitamin B3 for the body are numerous. It helps regulate cholesterol levels. Niacin is involved in the metabolism of fats. This vitamin has a cholesterol-lowering effect, although it is sometimes used to lower blood lipid levels.
PP, or niacin, contributes to the maintenance of tissue integrity, particularly that of the arteries, whose elasticity it ensures. In conjunction with other molecules, it acts effectively to prevent atherosclerosis. It participates in the composition of the coenzymes NAD and NADP. It is essential for the production of energy in cells and the manufacture of certain lipid molecules.
Niacin also ensures the proper functioning of the cerebral system. For the elderly, it allows them to have normal psychological functions, because it preserves the neuronal cells from ageing and, consequently, prevents neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
In addition, vitamin B3 niacin can be used to treat breast, colon and skin cancer. It helps to eliminate cancer cells in a natural way and to protect skin cells from damage caused by UVB7-8-9 radiation.
Is there any danger in taking too much of this vitamin?
Studies** have found that older people with higher intakes of vitamins B1, B3, D, E and carotenoids, or smokers in the same situation, have a slightly increased risk of bladder cancer.
100 mg per day of this water-soluble vitamin may cause vasodilation of the skin with hot flushes, and more than 750 mg per day may have a toxic effect on the liver. The abuse of this vitamin is therefore dangerous, but so is not respecting the recommended nutritional intake.
Indeed, a deficiency in pp or niacin can cause headaches. To compensate for a deficiency, it is therefore advisable to adapt one's diet by consuming foods rich in vitamin B3 niacin, as explained above (calf's liver, brewer's yeast, etc. ). However, deficiency is rare in Western countries; it does exist in countries where malnutrition is rife.
