Why take Niacin if body can create it?
As you probably know, Vitamin B3 (Niacin) can be created naturally in the human body. So why should you even bother taking it in supplement form? If your body can create it, then you shouldn’t really need to supplement your diet with it, right?
Well, this notion isn’t entirely accurate. Yes, the body can produce its own Niacin, but in this blog post we are going to discuss why this process often isn’t enough.
What exactly is Niacin?
Niacin is actually one of the 8 different vitamins that make up the vitamin group known as B complex. Niacin, which is vitamin B3, can be created by the body – but it cannot be stored. This means that you need a steady supply of it coming into your body to stay healthy.
Why does the body need Niacin?
The body uses Vitamin B3 to produce two very important compounds – known as NAD and NADP. These are coenzymes that activate other enzymes responsible for essential biochemical reactions within the body. These two particular compounds are responsible for fueling more than 200 different reactions in the body – making Vitamin B3 an essential part of a healthy human diet.
Most of these reactions have to do with creating energy by breaking down proteins, fats, and carbs. This is why Niacin is generally associated with weight loss and sport performance – and for good reason.
How does the body produce Niacin?
The body can convert Tryptophan, an essential amino acid, into Niacin – but the problem here is that this only really happens if the body is deficient in the vitamin. Plus, the conversion is quite inefficient. The liver needs 60 milligrams of tryptophan to create just 1 milligram of niacin. Plus, the body also needs adequate supplies of Vitamin B6 and riboflavin to complete the conversion process… as well as a healthy supply of dietary iron.
As you could probably understand, supplementing with Niacin is much easier than expecting your body to create as much of it as you need. You can get Niacin through Vitamin B3-rich foods, or by taking tablets or other different types of supplements. Failure to keep the body’s levels of Niacin high enough can lead to a deficiency of the vitamin… a disease called Pellagra.
Getting enough Niacin in your diet
As a general rule, a well-balanced diet, complete with plenty of meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts, should deliver all of the Niacin that you require to stay healthy. In-particular, you’ll want to look for foods like turkey, chicken breast, mushrooms, peanuts, and liver… but foods like green peas, grass-fed beef, tuna, and avocado can also be excellent sources of the vitamin.
Taking Niacin for other reasons
Some people try to take more than the recommended daily dosage of the vitamin, either to increase athletic performance, to prevent diseases, or to treat some sort of ailment. Vitamin B3 has many medicinal uses, and can be used quite effectively to help get better muscle gains at the gym.
The vitamin has undergone quite a bit of scientific study, and has been recognized for its ability to help lower cholesterol. It’s also been found to be quite effective for reducing the odds of developing cardiovascular problems.
But there are many more natural uses for the vitamin that haven’t been tested yet… and while some people are still skeptical that it’s as good as some people say it is, the stories and homeopathic evidence are pretty hard to ignore.
If you’re considering taking Niacin as a supplement, either to treat a condition or to get better gains at the gym, then you should probably discuss the decision with your doctor – just to be sure that he/she doesn’t see a problem with the plan.
You should, however, press your doctor for real information if he or she seems unsure of the decision. Some doctors fear the alleged side effects of the vitamin, including the infamous, yet harmless Niacin Flush. When pressed, doctors will often admit that there’s not really a reason to worry about it – so make sure that you speak up and leave with some real, usable information.