What is Niacinamide?
Niacinamide is one of the two sources of vitamin B3—the other is nicotinic acid. Vitamin B3 is known as niacin.
Niacinamide and nicotinic acid also have vitamin B3 activity, but they vary in their chemical structure and how they affect your health.
Niacinamide Uses
Helpful for Some Skin Conditions
Niacinamide plays a vital role in keeping the skin healthy.
For this reason, it is a common additive in the cosmetics and skincare industry.
Niacinamide has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects on the skin when applied topically or orally as a supplement.
It has been used to treat skin disorders such as acne and rosacea, a facial skin disorder marked by redness.
This makes niacinamide a common alternative to oral or topical antibiotics for acne or rosacea treatment. May help to prevent melanoma.
Melanoma is a severe form of skin cancer that occurs in the cells that manufacture melanin, a pigment that gives color to the skin.
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, either from the sun or from the tanning beds, damages the DNA of your cells over time and is closely associated with melanoma.
Due to its vital role in keeping the cells of the skin healthy, oral niacinamide supplements have been shown to improve the DNA repair of damaged UV skin in humans.
May Help In Chronic Disease
Chronic kidney disease is a gradual loss of kidney function that affects the body's ability to cleanse and filter blood and regulate blood pressure.
This can induce a dangerous build-up of chemicals, such as phosphate, in your blood (15Trusted Source).
Research suggests that niacinamide can help lower phosphate levels in people with renal dysfunction by blocking absorption of phosphate.
Can decrease the progression of type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a disease in which the body assaults and kills the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells.
It has been proposed that niacinamide supports and retains beta cells, preventing or slowing the development of type 1 diabetes in at-risk individuals.
However, evidence does not support the notion that niacinamide may prevent the development of type 1 diabetes, although it can help to postpone its progression by maintaining beta cell function.
Side Effects & Security
When taken through mouth: Niacinamide is mostly safe for almost all the adults when taken in the prescribed amount. In comparison to niacin, niacinamide does not induce flushing. However, niacinamide can cause minor side effects such as stomach upset, gas,dizziness, rash, itching, and other problems. To minimize the risk of these side effects, adults should avoid taking niacinamide at doses greater than 35 mg per day.
When doses of more than 3 grams per day of niacinamide are taken, more severe side effects may occur. These involve problems with the liver or high blood sugar.
Niacinamide is Likely SAFE when applied to the skin. Niacinamide cream can cause mild burning sensation on skin, itching, or redness on some part of the skin.
Unique Warnings & Precautions
- While Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Niacinamide is most likely to be considered as a safe drug for the ladies who are pregnant and breast-feeding when taken in the prescribed amount. The maximum prescribed amount of niacin for pregnant or breast-feeding women is 30 mg per day for women who are under 18 years of age and 35 mg per day for women who are above 18 years of age.
- Children: Niacinamide is LIKELY SAFE when taken by mouth in the prescribed amount for the age group. However, children should strictly avoid taking the doses of niacinamide above the daily upper limit of this drug which is 10 mg for children 3 years of age, 15 mg for children who are in between 4-8 years of age, 20 mg for children who are in between 9-13 years of age and 30 mg for children 14-18 years of age.
- Allergies: Niacinamide can make allergies more serious because it triggers the release of histamine, a chemical responsible for allergic symptom
- Diabetes: Niacinamide can increase blood sugar. People with diabetes who are taking niacinamide should monitor their blood sugar carefully.
- Gallbladder disease: Niacinamide can make gallbladder disease worse.
- Gout: Large quantities of niacinamide can lead to gout.
- Kidney dialysis: Niacinamide tends to raise the risk of low blood platelet levels in people with renal failure who are on dialysis.
- Liver disease: Niacinamide can increase liver damage. Don't use it if you're having liver disease.
- Stomach or intestinal ulcers: Niacinamide can make the ulcers worse. Don't use it if you've got ulcers.
- Surgery: Niacinamide can interfere with the regulation of blood sugar during and after surgery. Stop taking niacinamide at least 2 weeks before surgery is scheduled.
Dosage
In clinical studies, the following doses have been studied:
Adults:
General: Certain dietary supplement products may not be labelled with niacinamide separately. It could be classified under niacin instead. Niacin is calculated in niacin equivalents; (NE). The 1 mg dose of niacinamide is the same as the 1 mg dose of NE. The recommended daily dietary allowance (RDA) for niacinamide in adults is 16 mg NE for males, 14 mg NE for females, 18 mg NE for pregnant women, and 17 mg NE for females.
For acne: tablets containing 750 mg of niacinamide, 25 mg of zinc, 1,5 mg of copper and 500 mcg of folic acid (Nicomide) were used once or twice daily. 1-4 tablets containing niacinamide, azelaic acid, zinc, vitamin B6, copper and folic acid (NicAzel, Elorac Inc., Vernon Hills, IL) have also been taken daily.
For signs of vitamin B3 deficiency such as pellagra: 300-500 mg of niacinamide per day is administered in divided doses.
Diabetes: Niacinamide 1.2 grams/m2 (body surface area) or 25-50 mg/kg is used regularly to delay the development of type 1 diabetes. Also, 0.5 grams of niacinamide is used three times daily to delay the development of type 2 diabetes.
For blood phosphate levels of hyperphosphatemia, Niacinamide from 500 mg to 1.75 grams daily in divided doses is used for 8-12 weeks.
Larynx cancer: 60 mg/kg of niacinamide is given 1-1.5 hours before inhalation of carbohydrate (2 percent carbon dioxide and 2 percent carbon dioxide).
For skin cancers: 500 mg niacinamide once or twice daily for 4-12 months. For the treatment of osteoarthritis: 3 grams of niacinamide a day in divided doses for 12 weeks.
Acne: gel containing 4 percent of niacinamide twice daily.
Childrens
General: The daily prescribed dietary allowance (RDA) for niacinamide in children is 2 mg for infants aged 0-6 months, 4 mg NE for infants aged 7-12 months, 6 mg NE for children aged 1-3 years, 8 mg NE for children aged 4-8 years, 12 mg NE for children aged 9-13 years, 16 mg NE for men aged 18 years and 14 mg NE for women aged 18 years.
For acne and pimples:you can use 1-4 tablets containing niacinamide, azelaic acid, zinc, vitamin B6, copper and folic acid in children at least 12 years of age.For pellagra: 100-300 mg of niacinamide is administered daily in divided doses. For type 1 diabetes: 1.2 grams/m2 (body surface area) or 25-50 mg/kg of niacinamide is used daily to delay or avoid type 1 diabetes.
Niacinamide serum
Synthetic forms of this ingredient are most widely found in serums and moisturizers. Niacinamide strengthens the skin barrier (the outer surface of the skin), increases its durability and enhances the texture by making the pores appear smaller. It also helps balance the output of oil, and—bonus!
Niacinamide vs Hyaluronic acid
Niacinamide |
Hyaluronic acid |
|---|---|
| Increases its durability and enhances the texture by making the pores appear smaller | Makes skin healthy and supple |
| Can use twice a day | Should use in the morning for better results |
| Makes skin look good and healthy | Can cause dryness in the skin |
| Makes pores appear smaller | Doesn't clog pores |
