Niacin is a name given to various forms of nicotinic acid, also known as vitamin B3. Like other B vitamins, it plays many roles in the normal function of the human body, and a long-term deficiency of niacin can cause a disease called pellagra. This is almost unknown in the U.S. today, where healthy food is abundant, and niacin is added to baked goods. However, at times, niacin or niacin CR supplements are useful for therapeutic purposes.
Role of Niacin
Niacin is similar to the other B vitamins in the role it plays in human health. It is necessary for your body's ability to process fats and proteins, and for creating the stores of glucose in your muscles that fuel much of your activity. B vitamins are necessary for the health of your skin, nails and hair, and your liver is a heavy user of B vitamins, including niacin. Unsurprisingly, liver is one of the best dietary sources of niacin. Others include a variety of meats, grains and vegetables, as well as nutritional yeasts and edible yeast products.
Therapeutic Use
Although niacin is sold at retail for consumer use in milligram quantities, dosages measured in grams are used under a physician's care for a number of purposes. The most common therapeutic use is as a treatment for high cholesterol, a usage which enjoys FDA approval. It is also used to treat vitamin B3 deficiency, a rarity in the United States, except among alcoholics. Chronic niacin deficiency, or pellagra, can also be treated with niacin, but is primarily encountered in developing countries. Some evidence suggests niacin can be effective in treating several other conditions, but further research is needed.
Niacin vs. Niacin CR
In some cases, your physician might prescribe a controlled-release form of niacin, such as Niacin CR. Niacin is a water-soluble vitamin, so conventional capsules provide a large quantity of the vitamin for a relatively short time, until it's flushed from your system in your urine. Controlled-release versions of the vitamin inhibit its absorption into your bloodstream, providing a steady release of the vitamin over a period of several hours. Your doctor will normally prescribe one or the other, depending on a number of factors, including potential interaction with other drugs.
Contraindications
Niacin, like other water-soluble vitamins, is relatively safe because it spends a relatively short time in your body. However, self-medication with niacin is seldom a good idea. According to MedLine Plus, doses in the range of 3000 milligrams can result in negative side effects, including liver problems, gout, ulcers and loss of vision. Those with diabetes, low blood pressure, liver disease and many other health issues should avoid significant dosages. Niacin also interferes with the action of many medications, including statins and diabetes drugs. Taken in conjunction with drugs that lower blood pressure, niacin or niacin CR might reduce your blood pressure to dangerous levels.
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