Vitamin B3 is water-soluble and used by the body to help release energy from carbohydrates. It is also necessary to process alcohol and to form fats from carbohydrates. Niacin is responsible for regulating cholesterol.

Niacin, or nicotinic acid, and niacinamide, or nicotinamide, are the two forms of vitamin B3. Inositol hexaniacinate is a variation of niacin that can be acquired in some supplements. This form of niacin is sometimes recommended by doctors for those needing large amounts of niacin because it is not currently thought to cause niacin toxicity.

Vitamin B3 has been used to treat those suffering from:

• Acne (topical niacinamide)
• High cholesterol
• High triglycerides (niacin)
• Intermittent claudication (niacin–inositol hexaniacinate)
• Osteoarthritis (niacinamide)

Dosage Recommendations

Because white flour is fortified with vitamin B3, most people intake enough of the vitamin in their diet to avoid a deficiency. B-complex multivitamin supplements do contain between 10-25 mg of the vitamin. Certain health problems necessitate higher levels of the vitamin.