Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Niacin is also called vitamin B3. Niacin is only vitamin B in the body that can produce from another nutrient that is the amino acid tryptophan. Niacin is also a group of related nutrients. The most common forms are Nicotinic acid and Nicotinamide. Nicotinic acid is obtained from both plant and animal sources, whereas, Nicotinamide is found in dietary supplements.
Moreover, the compound nicotinamide riboside also has vitamin B3 activity that is found in trace amounts in whey protein. It is essential to know that all dietary forms of niacin are converted into nicotinamide adenine that acts as coenzymes.
Like other B vitamins, niacin’s functions are also to act as a coenzyme in the body. Moreover, it also acts as a powerful antioxidant in the body. However, one of the essential functions is to drive a metabolic process called glycolysis.
The deficiency of niacin is known as pellagra. It is uncommon in developed countries. However, the primary symptoms of pellagra are mouth sores, inflamed skin, insomnia, diarrhoea, and dementia. However, like all deficiency diseases, pellagra can be fatal without treatment.
The deficiency of vitamin B3 is more common in developing countries where people follow diets that lack diversity. However, the body is capable of synthesizing niacin from the amino acid tryptophan.