Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
| Ⓒ By Jonathan Roseland |
I'm not a doctor, medical professional, or trained therapist. I'm a researcher and pragmatic biohacking practitioner exercising free speech to share evidence as I find it. I make no claims. Please practice skepticism and rational critical thinking. You should consult a professional about any serious decisions that you might make about your health. Affiliate links in this article support Limitless Mindset - spend over $150 and you'll be eligible to join the Limitless Mindset Secret Society.
Nicotinic acid, in its various forms, is the subject of a fairly heated debate over its possibly fantastic properties when it comes to anti-aging, Schizophrenia, alcoholism, and trauma.
Scientific Research
Niacin vs Niacinamide vs Nicotinamide
The Niacin Flush
History
Schizophrenia
Alcoholism
Trauma Survivors
The B Vitamin from Outer Space?
Anti-Aging Mechanism
Obesity vs Anti-Aging
Cognition
Got Wifi? Take Niacin
B Vitamins are Mitochondrial Support
Vs Cholesterol
Anxiety
Hunger
Inositol Hexanicotinate
Picamilon
Food Sources
Sources & Pricing
Dosage and Usage
Side Effects
Conclusion
Vitamin B3 Videos
This article is mostly going to focus on decoding what the human data is saying about Vitamin B3 and how this squares up with the anecdotal experiences of the Biohacking community. For more of my own personal experiences, thoughts, and comparisons please see the written and video reviews of the different products in the sidebar.
Scientific Research
It has been widely studied worldwide as a Nootropic and general health-promoting agent with nearly 400 human clinical trials published. Its most prolific use is treating high Cholesterol.
Niacin vs Niacinamide vs Nicotinamide
Niacin turns into Niacinamide in the body. Nicotinamide is just a different name for Niacinamide. They are also sometimes referred to as Nicotinic acid - not to be confused with nicotine, the addictive agent in cigarettes.
A few key differences...
- Niacin and Niacinamide share the same psychiatric benefits. Niacinamide does not cause a flush, which some may appreciate.
- Niacinamide is not a cholesterol hack like Niacin.
- Niacinamide is more bioavailable, an imperfect metaphor, that should make sense to biohackers would be to say that Niacinamide is to Niacin what Alpha GPC is to Choline.
They all end up being converted into NAD+ and NADH, promising antiaging agents...
The Niacin Flush
Niacin will produce a warming, energizing sensation in your face and skin for 15 to 30 minutes. If the Niacin flush is too much for you, the following will reduce the sensation:
- Taking an Aspirin
- A cold meal or drink
- Taking it before a meal
Interestingly, the Niacin flush seems to be an indicator of general mental health, a 2015 Swedish study on schizophrenia stated:
The small group of niacin non-responding patients exhibited an even lower overall test performance. Delayed niacin flush also correlated inversely with psychomotor function and IQ in the patients.
So I may start offering Vitamin B3 to the woman I date, if they flush then it’s a good sign, if not I’ll plan my escape. Sound like a good strategy to avoid the crazies?
History
This Vitamin falls under the shadow of Abram Hoffer, Ph.D., MD, a hotly debated character in the annals of psychiatric history. A YouTube search of Dr. Hoffer will produce several videos worth watching of this charming old doctor harshly criticizing Psychiatry for not curing suffering but merely pushing pills.
Conspiracy theories about the pharmaceutical-psychiatric industrial complex abound regarding Dr. Hoffer’s ostensibly debunked studies. What’s not debated is that he was a quintessential healer and highly committed to the advancement of orthomolecular medicine.
Pellagra is a tragic vitamin deficiency disease that humans in poor and nutritionally deficient communities have suffered from since time immemorial. Niacin was discovered by an Austrian chemist in the 1800s who originally named it Vitamin PP (as in Pellagra Preventing) since it cured the disease so effectively.
Vs Schizophrenia
Abram Hoffer, Ph.D., MD, conducted some double-blind studies in the 1950s "curing" Schizophrenics with Vitamin B3. This is hotly debated online but definitely falls under the category of things worth trying if you are dealing with something as horrifying as Schizophrenia. You can find a handful of reports of Schizophrenics improving while taking Niacin, for example:
“When I got myself out of the mental hospital I read an article about Abram Hoffer's work with niacin and started taking 3,000 mg a day. It completely changed my life and is part of what continues to contribute to my better balance to this day at age 59. “
Another interesting account appears in a book published in 1998:
...his Mom and Dad somehow got him to take 3,000 milligrams of niacin and 10,000 mg of vitamin C. Formally a hyperactive insomniac, he responded by sleeping for 18 hours the first night and becoming surprisingly normal within days. I’d seen him before, and I saw him after. I’d talked to his parents during the whole process. It was an astounding improvement.
Dr. Hoffer recommends Niacin along with Vitamin C for Schizophrenics.
Vs Alcoholism
In an interesting episode of history, Dr. Hoffer introduced the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson, to LSD therapy for alcoholics. Dr. Hoffer also introduced Vitamin B3 to Wilson as an option for treating Alcoholism:
Bill was very curious about it and began to take niacin, 3 g daily. Within a few weeks fatigue and depression which had plagued him for years were gone. He gave it to 30 of his close friends in AA and persuaded them to try it. Within 6 months he was convinced that it would be very helpful to alcoholics. Of the thirty, 10 were free of anxiety, tension and depression in one month. Another 10 were well in two months.
They went on to conduct studies on much larger groups, and the data produced was optimistic:
A five-year longitudinal field trial of nicotinic acid was conducted on 507 known alcoholics to determine what effects and benefits might result. Our experience strongly suggests that:
1. Nicotinic acid can benefit 50 to 60 percent of alcoholics in the organic stage.
2. Nicotinic acid can benefit about 30 percent of the total alcoholic population.
Niacin is an inexpensive, and potentially transformative option worth the consideration of those struggling with alcoholism.
For Trauma Survivors
Another interesting case study is that of a Canadian officer who suffered for 4 years in a Japanese concentration camp during World War 2. Dr. Hoffer introduced him to Niacin. He began taking it and experienced significant recovery from some of the crippling disabilities he acquired while interred. Niacin was administered to numerous other prisoners of war who experienced similar recovery. Dr. Hoffer pondered:
...every human exposed to severe stress and malnutrition for a long enough period of time will develop a permanent need for large amounts of this vitamin and perhaps for several others. This is happening on a large scale in Africa where the combination of starvation, malnutrition and brutality is reproducing the conditions suffered by the veterans. Those who survive will be permanently damaged biochemically, and will remain a burden to themselves and to the community where they live. Will society have the good sense to help them recover by making this vitamin available to them in optimum doses?
I doubt it...
The B Vitamin from Outer Space?
From Dr. Lee Know's recent book...
Back in 2001 , NASA scientists found traces of vitamin B3 in meteorites , adding support to the theory that life on Earth was seeded by extraterrestrial sources . Vitamin B3 ’ s importance to life is apparent when we consider that it is the precursor of the biological molecules NAD + and NADH (2690-2693)
Antiaging Mechanism
It is hypothesized to promote mitochondrial biogenesis and DNA repair. Niacin also helps repair DNA and the production of hormones by the adrenal gland.
2014 UK paper stated in regards to its anti-aging and cognition-affecting properties:
Meat offers significant sourcing challenges and lack causes a deficiency of nicotinamide and tryptophan and consequently the energy carrier nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) that gets consumed in regulatory circuits important for survival, resulting in premature ageing, poor cognition and brain atrophy... we propose a hypothetical hypervitaminosis B3... as the trade-off for increased brain power and longevity, a recently evolved human characteristic.
Women’s bodies naturally convert more Tryptophan into Niacin than men’s, Dr. Hoffman hypothesizes that this is evidence of Niacin’s antiaging properties;
“Women, on average, live longer then men. It has been shown for men that giving them niacin increases their longevity. [2] Is the increased longevity in women the result of greater conversion of tryptophan into niacin under the stimulus of their increase in estrogen production?”
Obesity vs Antiaging
However, there’s some debate regarding its anti-aging properties, a 2003 paper, Key Gene For Life Extension By Calorie Restriction Identified, stated:
Researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS) have discovered that a gene in yeast is a key regulator of lifespan. The gene, PNC1, is the first that has been shown to respond specifically to environmental factors known to affect lifespan in many organisms... Sinclair's group previously found that nicotinamide acts as an inhibitor of Sir2, the founding member of a family of proteins that control cell survival and lifespan.
A 2010 Dalian University paper, Chronic niacin overload may be involved in the increased prevalence of obesity in US children, concluded:
The appetite-stimulating effect of nicotinamide appears to involve oxidative stress. Excess niacin consumption may be a major factor in the increased obesity prevalence in US children.
It’s been firmly established in the arena of antiaging that calorie restriction increases longevity, it would seem that Niacin works counter to that. While its antiaging benefit probably outweighs its cost, it’s probably not the best long-term longevity supplementation option, especially if you are already at risk for obesity.
Cognition
The conclusion I’ve reached is that B3 has weaker evidence of being a true Nootropic, of the 400 human clinical studies only a handful mentioned cognition, and of those few had any strong statements where the researchers concluded it made a big difference in the cognition of the human subjects. The majority of the studies mentioning Nootropic effects were speaking about taking Niacin in combination with other B vitamins.
A 2013 Mount Sinai School of Medicine study stated:
Our studies suggest that dietary treatment with [Nicotinamide riboside] might benefit [Alzheimer's disease] cognitive function and synaptic plasticity...
Got wifi? Take Niacin
If you've got wifi in your home, a smartphone, and other wireless gadgets it's a good idea to supplement a little Niacin (just 25 milligrams) daily. This is because being bathed in EMF fields all day sets off a cascade of chemical reactions that damage genetic replication increasing the risk of cancer and other catastrophic conditions. EMF*D by Dr. Mercola explains...
One of the most straightforward strategies for increasing your NAD+ balance is supplementing with its precursors. Oral NAD precursors have been shown to restore NAD levels in aged tissues and show beneficial effects against aging and aging-related diseases.55–58 Niacin is one of those precursors. I believe that low-dose niacin therapy, around 25 milligrams, is a therapy that most people would benefit from, as it is very low cost and has no serious side effects. Niacin has been shown to efficiently increase intracellular NAD+ levels, especially in your brain where it counts.59 And a deficiency in niacin can cause very serious health problems in addition to contributing to NAD+ depletion.
Since timed-release niacin eliminates the flushing reaction, many believe it is a better choice. Unfortunately, a high-quality study tested this strategy and the results appear far inferior,66 so inexpensive non-timed release niacin seems to be the preferred choice. You can purchase it in pills, capsules, or powder. (p. 164).
B Vitamins are Mitochondrial Support
From Dr. Lee Know's recent book...
Of all the nutrients defined as true vitamins , the ones that have the greatest direct impact on cellular metabolism and energy production are collectively known as the B vitamins . This group is made up of numerous distinct nutrients , and each is either a cofactor in an important metabolic process or a precursor of an important energy - related molecule .(2666-2669)
Vs Cholesterol
Its most popular usage is lowering high cholesterol, it’s also good for circulation issues.
Niacinamide is also used in combination with Vitamin C for cancer therapy.
Vs Anxiety
The endogenic nicotinamide has a tranquilizing and stress-protective activity.
There are no studies linking Niacin and anxiety, however, you’ll find numerous anecdotal reports online of Niacin helping the chronically anxious. To quote Turnbuckle:
“ I took B3 every day for decades and found it was good for both mood and mental acuity.”
Hunger Causing?
Due to a complex interaction with the glucose system, a strong desire to eat is a commonly reported effect of supplementation, xEva had a useful insight into this:
“[regarding] hunger or lack of appetite, it depends on the circumstance. If you you're fasting or on a low-carb diet (with low calories), this means that you're running on fat. In this case, sudden clearance of [free fatty acids] from the bloodstream will result in insane hunger -- and will greatly upregulate autophagy. For example, I'm afraid of trying niacin during a fast...”
As little as 500 milligrams of Niacinamide, can bring on these cravings. This hunger is apparently unpleasant for some, Hebbeh reported:
“I simply cannot tolerate the insatiable hunger brought on by higher doses of niacinamide.”
This makes this vitamin a good option for those trying to gain weight but is obviously a concern for those at risk for obesity.
Inositol Hexanicotinate
Often described as no-flush Niacin with 25 articles of scientific literature published. The primary difference between this and the other forms of Niacin is that Inositol Hexanicotinate releases much slower, reaching peak plasma levels as much as 6 hours after dosing.
Picamilon
A combination of Niacin and Gaba, developed in 1969 it’s another Nootropic from behind the Iron Curtain. Picamilon is less studied with around 20 results on Pubmed, and a handful of human studies. In Russia, it’s a prescription drug used to treat these illnesses:
- Ischemic stroke
- Depression
- Migraine
- Acute alcohol intoxication
- Senile psychosis
It’s not a very hardcore smart drug, according to users, it’s more of a tranquilizing agent, frequently compared to Phenibut and L-Theanine. Pharmaceutical Picamilon you can get, very affordably, from RUPharma in Moscow.
Food Sources
- Fish - Yellowfin tuna
- Chicken & Turkey (Cooked Chicken Breast)
- Pork (Cooked Lean Chop)
- Liver (Cooked Lamb Liver)
- Mushrooms (Grilled Portobello)
- Green Peas (Fresh)
- Coffee (1 cup = .5 milligrams)
It’s synthesized from tryptophan. Niacin and Niacinamide are water-soluble so when taken in pill form, drink water.
Sources & Pricing
Except for the direct NAD+ precursors and Picamilon, it’s quite an affordable supplement. PureBulk.com in the USA offers pure, lab-verified Niacin, which I did a biohacker trial with, surprisingly I found it to be an epiphany cofactor.
Bulk Supplements offers Niacin and Niacinamide powdered - the most economical form.
If you prefer it capsuled, it looks like Doctor's Best Time-Release Niacin is the top-rated option on Amazon.
Like many, you may dislike the Niacin flush - non-flush Niacin (Inositol Hexanicotinate) is available, but as Dr. Mercola writes it may not be an equally effective form.
Vitamin B3 is also often included in Nootropic multivitamin stacks...
But, if you can afford it you may want to supplement NAD+ more directly by taking Nicotinamide Mononucleotide or Nicotinamide Riboside - having evaluated the science I regard NMN as the king of NAD+ supplements.
Downloadable Niacin?
You may be interested in taking it as an infoceutical - a non-pharmacological, side-effect-free version of the drug that takes advantage of the phenomenon of water memory - which is imprinted on water via quantum collocation and electromagnetism using this device...
Infocueticals typically have 1/3 or half the effect of the actual medicine being imprinted. If you're skeptical of Infopathy that's understandable, it's a game-changing application of a little-known scientific phenomenon. But I'd urge you to evaluate the scientific evidence (presented in my biohacker review) that downloadable medicine is no longer science fiction...
Dosage and Usage
Unsurprisingly there’s some debate here as well...
- 500 milligrams - 1500 milligrams - Healthy people
- 1.5 - 3.5 grams - Treating Alcoholism, Schizophrenia, etc
Some literature advises against taking over 3.5 grams daily of Niacin but Dr. Hoffer describes schizophrenics taking as much as 10 grams of Niacin and 30 grams of nicotinic acid daily.
Side Effects
Diarrhea; dizziness; headache; itching; nausea; stomach upset; temporary feeling of warmth or flushing of the skin.
Consuming over 3.5 grams daily can result in a host of nasty conditions: irregular heartbeat, liver disease, increased risk of stroke, and digestive tract issues.
The urine test myth; apparently there’s this urban legend that large doses of B3 will mask the traces of narcotic drugs in a urine test, this is not true, and significant amounts of B3 can cause organ failures. There are multiple cases of (dumbasses!) hurting themselves this way, don’t be one of them!
Conflicts: WebMD reports major interactions with Arava (leflunomide) and leflunomide.
In Conclusion...
I categorize Vitamin B3 as something worth trying to address serious issues like alcoholism, Schizophrenia, and anxiety. Its anti-aging benefits you can get more directly from supplementing NAD+ precursors like Nicotinamide Mononucleotide and Nicotinamide Riboside. I'm not going to be giving up wifi or my smartphone anytime soon (nor will I be sleeping in a Faraday cage) so 25 milligrams of Niacin or Niacinamide a day is a smart and very affordable investment to make in genetic antifragility.
Photos
Videos
Attachments
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Vitamin B3/Niacin — A Vitamin of Hope for a Hurting World
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