A severe deficiency of niacin, or vitamin B-3, in your diet may lead to cognitive changes, including memory loss, disorientation and confusion. Most Americans get enough niacin from dietary sources to prevent dementia related to a niacin deficiency, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. However, an inadequate intake of niacin may still cause symptoms of cognitive decline, the MayoClinic.com.
Significance
The B-complex vitamins perform key roles in maintaining healthy brain and nerve function. Niacin also affects blood circulation by dilating blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. A niacin deficiency may cause dementia, a set of mental status or personality changes that may include confusion, wandering, agitation, memory loss and disorganized thought. Dementia is a characteristic sign of pellagra, a vitamin deficiency disorder caused by inadequate intake of foods that contain niacin. However, pellagra has become uncommon in developed countries, where breads, cereals and other grain products are often fortified with niacin. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that an adequate intake of dietary niacin has been associated with a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that causes a form of dementia. Clinical research has not established a clear connection between Alzheimer's-related dementia and niacin deficiency.
Recommended Dietary Allowance
In the United States, the average man gets about 30 mg of niacin each day and the average woman gets about 20 mg of niacin from foods such as beef, poultry, tuna, and fortified breads and cereals, the Linus Pauling Institute notes. The recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for niacin is 16 mg per day for men ages 19 and older, and 14 mg for women ages 19 and older. Your liver also synthesizes forms of niacin from tryptophan, an amino acid found in red meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products. Consuming 60 mg of tryptophan produces the niacin equivalent of 1 mg, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.
Causes
In the United States, where vitamin deficiency syndromes have become uncommon, alcoholism is the primary cause of a niacin deficiency, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Malabsorption syndromes such as celiac disease, which interferes with your small intestine's absorption of vitamins from the foods you eat, may lead to a niacin deficiency. In an article published in the Nov. 22, 2008 issue of "The Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology," Dr. Hugh J. Freeman notes that although niacin deficiency is rare in people with celiac disease, an inability to absorb niacin may cause dementia, movement abnormalities or seizures in people who have the disorder.
Older Adults
As many as 15 to 25 percent of older adults in the United States may not consume enough niacin in the foods they eat, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. The Linus Pauling Institute recommends that men and women older than 65 take a multivitamin supplement containing niacin to help them meet their requirements for this B vitamin. Although your risk of dementia increases with age, dementia is not a natural effect of aging, MayoClinic.com emphasizes. A balanced diet that meets the requirements of niacin and other B vitamins may help prevent the cognitive changes that become more common as you age.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University: Micronutrient Information Center: Niacin
- "Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology"; Neurological Disorders in Adult Celiac Disease; Hugh J. Freeman, M.D.; Nov. 22, 2008
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
- MayoClinic.com: Dementia
- MayoClinic.com: Niacin (Vitamin B3, Nicotinic Acid), Niacinamide: Evidence
