Have You Taken Some Niacin?
Niacin: Here Are A Few Uses and Benefits
Niacin, better known popularly as vitamin B3, is one of the eight water-soluble vitamins of group B. This vitamin is further subdivided into two types: nicotinic acid and niacinamide. This vitamin, like the vast majority of those belonging to group B, is very important for the general well-being of people, and may cause some problems if there is a serious deficiency of it.
Then, so that you know everything you need about this vitamin, we are going to explain its main uses and the benefits it offers for people’s health. Ready? Well let’s start!
WHAT IS THE NIACIN?
Niacin or vitamin B3, is an essential nutrient in the diet of all people, and can be acquired by taking some kind of supplement in pill or from certain foods that contain it.
Niacin is divided into two chemical forms, which also have different effects on our body:
* NICOTINIC ACID: Acid is often used as a dietary supplement to reduce blood cholesterol levels and prevent heart attacks
* NIACINAMIDE: On the other hand, niacinamide is very useful for treating skin cancer or psoriasis
HOW IT WORKS?
Like all other B Vitamins, niacin is responsible for helping to transform food into useful energy for humans. In more scientific terms, vitamin B3 is part of the essential coenzymes generated by our body’s cells, which makes it really essential in order to lead a normal life.
On the other hand, niacin is also known for its antioxidant powers, helping to effectively prevent many diseases, including cancer.
SIGNS OF VITAMIN B-3 DEFICIENCY
These are some of the main symptoms a person experiences when his or her body does not have enough niacin in its body:
* Diarrhea
* Skin problems
* Recurrent headaches
* Memory loss and disorientation
* Depression
NIACIN BENEFITS- HELPS REDUCE MALIGNANT CHOLESTEROL AND INCREASES THE GOOD
For fifty years, niacin began to be used in patients at risk of stroke due to very high cholesterol, as niacin reduces levels of malignant cholesterol (LDL) and increases good (HDL) by up to 30%.
IMPROVES BRAIN FUNCTION
Our brain needs niacin to function properly, as it synthesizes the cellular coenzymes that provide us with energy. Several studies showed that people with mild memory loss, mental illness, or depression had low vitamin B3 levels.
So your intake helps to regulate all those basic functions and prevent the appearance of mental diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
IT HELPS TREAT TYPE 1 DIABETES
In people with type 1 diabetes, niacin is very useful to increase insulin levels in the blood and also to prevent its occurrence in children with risk factors.
SKIN ENHANCEMENT
Several studies have shown that niacin is able to protect skin cells from oxidative damage from sunlight, preventing the appearance of common alterations and some type of skin cancer.
