Niacinamide is a water-soluble supplement known as vitamin B3. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water, so the body doesn’t store them like fat-soluble vitamins. Several B vitamins and vitamin C are water-soluble.
What are Water-Soluble Vitamins?
Water-soluble vitamins excrete quickly through the urine without remaining in your body for long periods. Subsequently, you must consume water-soluble vitamins regularly to maintain good health.
Water-soluble vitamins benefit the body. They support healthy eyes, skin and hair. They also boost the immune system, produce energy and regulate the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
If a body is deficient in water-soluble vitamins, individuals experience fatigue, anemia, and skin disorders. The immune system becomes weakened, so illness and disease develop health concerns.
What is Niacinamide?
Niacinamide supports metabolism, repairs and maintains healthy skin. It’s also a workable remedy for anxiety. Niacinamide helps protect and preserve the central nervous system, slowing down the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The supplement is also a natural and valuable treatment for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Difference Between Niacin and Niacinamide
Niacinamide and niacin are two forms of vitamin B3, and you can call each supplement vitamin B3. And you may see them label this way on grocery store shelves. Nicotinamide is another name for niacinamide, and another name for niacin is nicotinic acid. These two supplements are similar but have apparent differences.
Doctors prescribe niacin to treat high cholesterol and triglyceride levels because its effective in metabolizing fats (x). Niacin can also treat chronic kidney disease effectively (x).
Niacin causes dilated blood vessels, which causes flushing and redness and itchiness. The flushing reaction on the skin feels tingly and warm in the face and upper body. Though, high doses can cause the whole body to flush. Increasing the supplement in increments will help avoid extreme flushing (x).
Niacinamide doesn’t cause flushing. You’ll find it in skin care products to treat the skin. Unlike niacin, doctors don’t prescribe niacinamide to treat cholesterol levels because it’s ineffective (x). Niacinamide, like niacin, can safely treat people with chronic kidney disease, and a study encourages widespread clinical use (x).
Both supplements help maintain excellent health because your body uses them effectively (x).
Benefits of Niacinamide
Understanding which foods contain niacinamide ensures you’re getting enough of this B vitamin. Or you can take niacinamide capsules to help supplement your daily intake. Check with your physician before starting any new supplement, so you have certainty on whether you need to take niacinamide capsules. Here are some notable niacinamide benefits:
Improves Skin Barrier Function
Your body’s skin barrier is a complex mixture of lipids, including ceramides (waxy lipid molecules), fatty acids and cholesterol. Lipids help maintain your skin’s hydration levels while protecting it from external stressors. Environmental stressors, like pollutants and ultraviolet rays from the sun, can lead to skin cancer (x).
Niacinamide supports the skin barrier by increasing the production of lipids. The National Library of Medicine reports that niacinamide protects skin cells from oxidative stress. A study focused on lipids, positively determining the supplement’s benefit (x).
Clinical studies on the myriad topical and dermatological uses of niacinamide in skin care formulas show the benefits of taking vitamin B3. Some studies were human testing, which improved skin quality (x).
Brightens Skin Tone
Niacinamide strengthens the skin barrier. A more robust skin barrier reduces water loss, supports hydration and boosts your skin’s ability to mend itself, all of which contributes to better skin tone.
More substantially, the supplement fights the transfer of melanin. Melanin gives skin color and pigment. Too much melanin in areas of the skin leads to uneven skin tone and dark spots, known as hyperpigmentation. By inhibiting the transfer of melanin from the melanocytes, cells that produce the melanin, to the nearby skin cells, a reduction in the appearance of this hyperpigmentation occurs.
In a study with Asian women who had multiple conditions of hyperpigmentation and desired lighter skin color took a topical lotion with two to five percent niacinamide. The supplement delivered 35 to 68 percent inhibition of melanosome transfer, reducing pigmentation after four weeks of application (x).
Most brightening skin creams have niacinamide as one of their primary ingredients. Studies show the supplement is effective in lightening the skin (x).
Niacinamide has anti-inflammatory properties, calming skin from irritation and redness. Such aggravations can cause uneven skin tone. Once the supplement reduces inflammation, the overall appearance of the skin improves.
Oral niacinamide treats skin inflammation systemically based on research that supports multiple ultraviolet blockers. The study shows a daily intact of vitamin B3 reduces inflammation and is essential for healthy skin (x).
Minimizes Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Niacinamide helps stimulate collagen production. Collagen is a protein that provides skin firmness and structure. As your skin ages, the production of collagen declines and the skin develops wrinkles and lines. Niacinamide also helps the skin keep its moisture, which prevents lines and wrinkles.
Because niacinamide triggers collagen production, the supplement also helps wound healing based on a study performed in vitro. The findings reported niacinamide dominated the formulation because it was so successful (x).
A study on white females with fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots and poor texture showed that niacinamide improved the appearance of women’s skin, with fewer wrinkles and yellow with enhanced elasticity (x).
Supports Acne-Prone Skin
Niacinamide reduces inflammation in the skin, like the redness caused by acne. Individuals with acne have an excess sebum, which can clog the pores and cause acne breakouts. Sebum is a sticky, oily substance your body creates to keep the skin moist. Excess sebum production causes acne. Using the supplement regulates sebum production, lessening the condition of skin acne.
Researchers performed a clinical trial on a group of Asians and Caucasians to determine the effectiveness of niacinamide on the skin to control sebum to lessen acne. The results showed the compound lowered the sebum in the skin after two to four weeks (x).
The supplement supports the skin barrier, preventing moisture loss while keeping the skin hydrated. Some acne treatments dry out the skin, so boosting the skin barrier helps.
Environmental stressors can cause acne, and niacinamide bolsters the skin’s immunity, protecting it from those stressors.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are part of the skin’s immune system. A study proved that niacinamide protected the skin of mice because it boosted the skin’s AMPs. The findings stated niacinamide provides long-lasting protection against bacteria through enhanced AMPs (x).
Reduces Inflammation
Niacinamide has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that positively support your skin. These properties neutralize free radicals that cause inflammation and damage to the skin.
The supplement also bolsters the outermost layer of the skin, known as the skin barrier. As a result, the skin remains moist and firm, keeping out environmental irritants that would otherwise cause a skin condition (x).
Treatment for Chronic Kidney Disease
Studies show that niacinamide helps slow the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and ease symptoms (x). Inflammation is a common aspect of CDK, which leads to kidney tissue damage and scarring. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress are routine with CKD (x). Niacinamide reduces the production of inflammatory cytokines to fight further damage to the kidneys, with studies showing positive influences for those with acute kidney injury (x)
Oxidative stress harms the kidneys, resulting in an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and your body’s ability to nullify them. These ROS not only damage the kidneys but DNA, RNA, proteins and overall cell death (x). Niacinamide helps combat kidney disease by reducing oxidative stress (x).
Another added benefit is the supplement regulates blood glucose levels, helping those with CKD and diabetes. Niacinamide helps improve insulin sensitivity and reduces resistance to insulin, fighting complications of diabetes and kidney damage (x).
Ensure you consult your healthcare provider regarding guidance in using any new supplement.
Helps Ease Anxiety
It doesn’t go without saying a healthy lifestyle helps ease anxiety and environmental stress factors that cause mental and physical discomfort (x). Chronic inflammation can cause mental health issues, such as anxiety. Since the supplement has anti-inflammatory qualities, it’s likely to help reduce stress.
People have discovered natural treatments are far more effective while avoiding the straight jacket of psychotropic drug addiction. A case study followed a medical doctor who self-prescribed niacinamide when psychotropic drugs did more harm than good, which is not uncommon.
The story shows how using supplements can help a person overcome psychological trauma. He took psychotropic drugs for about ten years without stable relief. It wasn’t until he started taking niacinamide that he sound found happiness and stability in life (x)
Supports Central Nervous System
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a coenzyme. Most B vitamins are coenzymes. It triggers the metabolic processes that include DNA repair and energy production. Niacinamide is a precursor to NAD+ and helps maintain the structure of the central nervous system.
Chronic inflammation causes neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s. Niacinamide has anti-inflammatory properties to help lower the risk of these health concerns. Oxidative stress is another cause of neurological problems, which the supplement can neutralize.
Studies show that niacinamide regulates neurotransmitter levels, chemicals that transmit signals within the brain to the nervous system. The supplement also positively influences dopamine and serotonin, which helps with cognitive function and mood (x).
Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Inflammation causes osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. As mentioned earlier, niacinamide reduces inflammation in your body.
Oxidative stress can damage cells and tissues throughout your body, including the joints. As mentioned above, niacinamide has antioxidants to combat oxidative stress and free radicals, neutralizing them.
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis cause stiffness and pain, and niacinamide has analgesic properties that may reduce the stiffness and pain associated with these health concerns (x, x).
Usefulness in Ovarian and Breast Cancer
Women with a genetic risk of ovarian and breast cancer may find value in taking niacinamide. According to an ACAM Integrative Medicine Blog posted by Nalini Chilkov, LAC, OMD,
Chilkov writes that PARP inhibitors repair damaged DNA in the cell. Cells that might develop into cancer cells. Having BRCA1 means the body has a high potential of getting lethal breast and colon cancer. Women with positive BRCA1 gene are likely to have poor DNA repair, so PARP inhibitors are beneficial.
Another gene associated with poor DNA repair is RAD51D, which increases the risk of ovarian cancer.
Chilkov offers niacinamide as a natural solution and suggests taking 1500 mg three times daily but check with your physician first (x).
Foods That Contain Niacinamide
Niacinamide is available as a dietary supplement, but getting nutrients through a balanced and healthy diet is an effective way to get the vitamin. Here are some foods rich in niacinamide:
- Poultry and Meat: Turkey, chicken, pork, beef and liver all contain reasonable amounts of niacinamide.
- Seafood and Fish: Salmon, tuna, shrimp and sardines are excellent sources.
- Legume: Lentils and peas are excellent sources. Chickpeas, black beans and kidney beans are also excellent.
- Whole Grains: Barley, brown rice and whole wheat contain niacinamide.
- Fortified Breads and Cereals: Look at the labels because some bread and cereals come fortified with niacinamide, ensuring people get enough of the nutrient.
- Vegetables: Asparagus, mushrooms, sweet potatoes and broccoli are excellent sources of niacinamide.
Take niacinamide supplements if your diet lacks a sufficient amount of this valuable water-soluble vitamin. But check with your doctor first.
Where to Buy Niacinamide Capsules?
You can purchase Niacinamide Capsules at BulkSupplements.com. The company is an industry-leading manufacturer and distributor of pure dietary supplements.
BulkSupplements.com is not just a consumer brand. It also supplies pure ingredients to other brands that distribute food and supplement products. All products at BulkSupplements.com are manufactured and tested according to current and proper manufacturing practices.
Are you interested in trying niacinamide as a dietary supplement for its potential to support your central nervous system, kidneys, wound healing, immune system and skin health? Contact BulkSupplements.com to place an order today.
Niacinamide Dosage Size
It’s best to talk with your physician about the recommended daily dosage of niacinamide or read your vitamin label. A general guideline for dosages:
- Adults 16 to 18 mg per day
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women 18 to 20 mg per day
- Children (4 to 8 years) 8 mg per day
- Children (1 to 3 years) 6 mg per day
- Toddlers (7 to 12 months) 4 mg per day
- Infants up to 6 months, 2 mg per day
Higher dosages are practical if there are potential health benefits, such as 3000 mg per day.
Ensure you consult your healthcare provider before taking a new supplement in case of adverse interactions with other supplements or medicines.
The Bottom Line
Niacinamide is a water-soluble supplement identified as vitamin B3. Water-soluble supplements dissolve in water, so the body can’t store them like fat-soluble vitamins.
Niacinamide supports the body. The supplement helps with metabolism and repairs and maintains healthy skin. It’s also a practicable remedy for anxiety, protecting and preserving the central nervous system, slowing down the progression of neurodegenerative diseases — Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
The supplement is a valuable treatment for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Niacinamide can also help prevent ovarian, breast and colon cancer from those with a higher potential for developing the dangerous disease. It lowers inflammation and contains antioxidants for relieving chronic kidney disease and diabetes.
Eat enough foods that contain niacinamide to ensure you’re getting plenty of this B vitamin. Or you can take niacinamide capsules to help supplement your daily consumption.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
