What is Niacinamide? Health Benefits, Usage, Supplements, and Side Effects.

As a nutritional supplement and pharmaceutical, Niacinamide, also known as nicotinamide (NAM), is a kind of vitamin B3 found in food products like fish, meat, green vegetables, and eggs.

It is taken orally as a supplement to ward against and treat pellagra (niacin deficiency). Niacinamide offers the advantage of not causing skin flushing, whereas nicotinic acid (also known as niacin) may be utilized for this purpose. It is used to treat acne as a cream. This vitamin is water-soluble. The supplement is known as Niacinamide, and its scientific name is nicotinamide (NAM). Patients with obesity also use Niacinamide to keep the cells healthy. It doesn't aid in treating elevated cholesterol like its cousin, niacin.

Niacinamide has shown skin-lightening abilities that are more potent than hydroquinone without adverse side effects. Its contribution to skin homeostasis, which is necessary to maintain skin cells' better functioning, is its primary role. Because of this, it is suitable for all skin types, including the most sensitive ones, from dry to oily, and thus is a perennial favorite in the green beauty sector. It is generated naturally from nicotinic acid, present in brewer's yeast and several bowls of cereal.

Health Benefits

Some of the health benefits of Niacinamide are −

• Beneficial for a Few Skin Conditions − Niacinamide has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory benefits on the skin, whether applied topically or taken orally as a supplement. Rosacea, a kind of skin ailment that causes a reddish appearance on the face, and other skin problems, including acne, have been treated with it.

• Aid for prevention of Melanoma − Melanoma is a severe type of skin cancer that grows in the melanin-producing cells, providing skin color. It has been demonstrated that niacinamide oral supplements enhance DNA repair in UV-damaged skin.

• Effective for Chronic Kidney Disease − Through the progressive loss of kidney function, chronic kidney disease decreases your body's ability to filter and purify the blood and control blood pressure. It might cause a harmful chemical build-up, like phosphate, in your blood. By limiting phosphate absorption, Niacinamide may assist those with renal failure lower their phosphate levels.

• Reduces the Rate of Type 1 Diabetes Progression − If you are suffering from type 1 diabetes, your body destroys the beta cells of the pancreas by attacking it, which is responsible for sufficient insulin production. In people at risk, Niacinamide may protect and support beta cells, which might delay or stop the formation of Type 1 diabetes. The data unsupported the hypothesis that it may prevent the disease's development.

Uses

Niacinamide is commonly used as −

Immunity − Niacinamide helps create keratin, a type of fibrous protein that keeps your skin pleasant and firm.

Lipid Barrier

Niacinamide may help your skin develop a ceramide (lipid) fence, which helps retain skin moisture.

• All skin types can benefit from this, but those with eczema or older skin receive exceptional care.

• Helps minimize blotchiness and redness- Niacinamide reduces inflammation, which might help lessen the redness associated with inflammatory skin diseases, including eczema, acne, and others.

• Pore emergence minimization- Another advantage of keeping hydrated, pleasant skin is that pore size may gradually get smaller.

• UV Protection- Niacinamide has the twin advantages of protecting healthy skin cells from UV radiation damage and mending damaged skin cells.

• Hyperpigmentation treatment- According to certain studies, black spots can be lightened by using niacinamide concentrations of 5%. Benefits were noticeable within four weeks to two months. A higher generation of collagen may be the cause of this advantage.

• Ance Treatment- Niacinamide may help treat severe acne, particularly in inflammatory types like papules and pustules. Over time, you can observe improved skin texture and fewer lesions.

• Lowering emergence of Wrinkles- Researchers prove that Niacinamide dosage reduces solar damage, decreasing loose skin lines, referred to as wrinkles.

Supplements

Eating healthy is always the best path to help the micronutrients like Vitamin B3 reach the body. Healthy fruits and vegetables include eggs, fish, nuts, cereals, brown rice and bread, bananas and legumes, yeast and milk, etc.

Still, deficiency of Vitamin B3 could be fulfilled by using supplements available at medical stores with proper consultation from a medical advisor.

Dosage (in General)

• Adults − Niacinamide's recommended daily intake (RDA) is 16 mg for adults, 14 mg for men, 18 mg for pregnant women, and 17 mg for women.

• Children − The recommended daily intake (RDA) for Niacinamide in children is 2 mg for infants up to 6 months, 4 mg for the infant's age group of 7–12 months, 6 mg for the children age group of 1-3 years, 8 mg for the children age group of 4–8 years, and 12 mg for children with the age group of 9–13.

Note − dosage varies for diabetic, larynx cancer, skin cancer, and acne patients.

Niacinamide Serum − The most common applications for this synthetic component are serums and moisturizers. Niacinamide improves the skin's texture by making the pores look smaller, strengthening the skin barrier (the outer layer), and increasing its endurance.

Side Effects

For the majority of individuals, oral Niacinamide is LIKELY SAFE. Niacinamide doesn't make you flush as niacin does. Niacinamide has been linked to a few mild side effects, including nausea, gastric discomfort, headaches, dizziness, rashes, and itching. Niacinamide cream may result in moderate skin redness, burning, or itching after application.

More harmful side effects can occur when niacinamide dosages are more than 3 grams daily. High blood sugar levels and liver issues are two examples. When given to youngsters correctly and orally, Niacinamide is POSSIBLY SAFE. It is also POSSIBLY SAFE when applied on adults' skin.

Niacinamide may make it more likely to bleed and slow down blood coagulation. Combining it with other supplements with comparable effects may make some people more susceptible to bleeding.