Kosmix: Niacin Overview

Niacin Guide

Summary
Definition
Other Names
Food Sources
Function
Recommendations
Side Effects

Definition

Niacin is a type of B vitamin. It is water-soluble, which means it is not stored in the body. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine. That means you need a continuous supply of such vitamins in your diet.

Other Names

Diet - niacin; Nicotinic acid; Vitamin B3

Reviewed By

William McGee, M.D., M.H.A., Assistant Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, and Chairman, Nutrition Committee, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

Niacin Guide

Niacin is used with diet changes (restriction of cholesterol and fat intake) to reduce the amount of cholesterol and certain fatty substances in your blood. Niacin is also used to prevent and treat pellagra (niacin deficiency), a disease caused by in...

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Encyclopedia: Niacin

WIKIPEDIA.ORG

Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid and vitamin B3, is the organic compound with the formula HO2CC5H4N. This water-soluble, colourless solid is a derivative of pyridine, featuring a carboxylic acid functional group at the 3-position. The designation vitamin B3 also includes the corresponding amide nicotinamide , wherein the CO2H group has been replaced by a CONH2 group. Niacin is converted to niacinamide in vivo, and though the two are identical...

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