Niacin for Anxiety - All The Research Explained

Niacin for Anxiety - An In-Depth Look

The question is how does well does Niacin for anxiety work?

The statistics related to the commonness of anxiety are not encouraging.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, more than 18% percent of adults in the US are dealing with anxiety disorders.

Those can vary from specific phobias to panic and social anxiety disorders to generalized anxiety.

If you are feeling anxious, you can also try to alleviate symptoms by adding natural nutrients to your nutrition.

One of the staples of a healthy diet can be niacin, but is it helpful in dealing with anxiety?

That is what we are trying to discover in this article, and it is exactly why we consulted science!

What Do the Scientific Studies Say – Can Niacin Provide Anxiety Relief?

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) can provide multiple benefits for physical health and well-being.

However, not many large-scale studies are available when it comes to the correlation between niacin and anxiety.

Jonathan E. Prousky published a case report indicating the potency of niacin-amide in relieving anxiety symptoms.

The author even compared the effects of vitamin B3 with benzodiazepine, which is a medication that can be used for the same purpose.

The case report involved using 2500 milligrams of Niacinamide daily.

The patient was a male that was 34 years old at the time and dealing with ameliorated severe anxiety.

The author argues that Niacinamide could boost the effectiveness of benzodiazepine by modulating neurotransmitters in the brain.

Additionally, it could assist in boosting serotonin production and helping to deal with vitamin B deficiency.

All these could help to relieve anxiety.

Another report published by the same author focused on three patients using niacinamide.

Their dosage was between 2,000 and 2,5000 milligrams daily.

According to the conclusions of the report, all three patients showed anxiety relief after taking vitamin B3 regularly.

The treatment resolved the deficiency of this vitamin and demonstrated effects similar to the mentioned benzodiazepine.

The case reports showed that serotonin levels increased, which may lead to a better mood among the participants.

The report indicates that no side effects are reported.

Furthermore, it indicates that vitamin B3 doesn’t cause side effects until the dose is 6,000 milligrams per day. In those cases, it can cause vomiting and nausea.

These case reports are small scale, but they confirm that anxiety and depression could be related to vitamin B3.

If your body lacks niacin, you might exert augmented symptoms of these disorders. On the other hand, by getting the vitamin B3 levels in normal, you can help to fight various forms of anxiety and apathy.

Another relevant case report was published in 2012.

The study was conducted in China on an adult male dealing with pellagra.

Once he was admitted to the psychiatric hospital, he was diagnosed with psychosis due to disorderly behavior.

According to reports, niacin deficiency was noted, and the entire recovery took six months.

Many Different Research Shows B Vitamin Supplementation Helps with Anxiety Relief

Let's look at a detailed systematic review analyzed the use of the B vitamin complex supplementation on symptoms related to stress, anxiety, and depression!

This analysis involved 18 articles, and 11 of them reported that B vitamins could have a positive effect on symptoms related to depression, stress, and anxiety.

The results showed that supplementation have the ability to provide considerable improvement to the overall mood.

The treatment is particularly beneficial for those who have a poor mood status before starting to take supplements.

Additionally, the B vitamin complex is a great solution for those who are dealing with a deficiency in these vitamins.

Since that can be related to anxiety, too, this treatment could prove helpful.

Do You Know What Niacin Is?

Niacin is nothing else than one of the forms of vitamin B3. It is soluble in water, which is a characteristic of B vitamins.

Once it gets into our body, vitamin B3 is absorbed by tissues. They convert it to NAD, which is a coenzyme that is active metabolically. Since over 400 enzymes need NAD as a catalyzer, it is safe to say that it participates in hundreds of different processes in the body. That is a bigger number than other coenzymes derived from vitamins.

Niacin is available in various foods, as well as supplements and medications. The beef liver could be the most abundant source of vitamin B3 when it comes to foods. A couple of ounces will get you more than 60% of the recommended daily value. Spaghetti marinara sauce, turkey, and chicken breast have around the same amount. You also cannot go wrong with pork tenderloin, ground beef, light tuna, brown rice, and peanuts.

Niacin is often a part of supplement formulas that contain other B vitamins and additional nutrients. Doctors might also prescribe it as a medicine, and there are drugs containing niacin used to assist with elevated cholesterol.

What Is the Recommended Daily Intake of Niacin?

If you are an adult, you will need approximately 14-18 milligrams of niacin. Females that are pregnant or lactating require 17-18 milligrams, while 14 milligrams should be enough for other women. Adult men should secure 16 milligrams of vitamin B3 daily.

Recommended daily allowance of niacin (https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Niacin-HealthProfessional/)

It is important to note that the tolerable upper intake of niacin is set to 35 milligrams. That means the body tolerates this compound well. You can benefit from an increased intake of niacin up to that range. It can be helpful to boost the consummation of this vitamin, especially if your body lacks it, or you are looking for it to help promote overall health and wellness.