Vitamin B3 (Niacin)Benefits, Dosage & Interactions
Also known as: Niacin, B3
Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, is an essential water-soluble vitamin. It plays a crucial role in numerous metabolic processes, including converting food into energy, supporting cellular function, and maintaining DNA integrity. Research on Vitamin B3 (Niacin) focuses on heart and circulatory health.
Researched by DoseRoutine R&D TeamReviewed for accuracy by Nicholas Alexander, RSELast updated
No primary literature attached to this entry yet.
What published protocols report
Ranges documented in the literature, shown for reference. DoseRoutine does not recommend an amount — your prescriber or the product label sets the dose.
- Reported amounts
- Cardiovascular literature describes prescription niacin for lipid management at 1–2 g/day, well above the roughly 14–16 mg/day dietary requirement, with therapy usually started at lower doses and titrated up to limit flushing[1][2]
- Route studied
- Oral, as immediate-release or extended-release tablets in the cited cardiovascular literature[1][2]
- Frequency
- Once or twice daily depending on formulation (immediate-release vs. extended-release), per the cited reviews[1][2]
Reported for Vitamin B3 (Niacin) in the cited sources. Published ranges are not dosing advice.
References & evidence
Documents the Vitamin B3 (Niacin) entry is written from. Each number matches an inline marker above.
- [1]Niacin and cholesterol: role in cardiovascular disease (review)Ganji SH, Kamanna VS, Kashyap ML · The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry · 2003 · Peer-reviewed · PMID 12873710
- [2]Niacin Therapy, HDL Cholesterol, and Cardiovascular Disease: Is the HDL Hypothesis Defunct?Mani P, Rohatgi A · Current Atherosclerosis Reports · 2015 · Peer-reviewed · PMID 26048725
- [3]Niacin promotes the efflux of lysosomal cholesterol from macrophages via the CD38/NAADP signaling pathwayYang S, Zhang F, Li Q, Li Q · Experimental Biology and Medicine · 2022 · Peer-reviewed · PMID 35369785
How to track Vitamin B3 (Niacin) doses
Tracking Vitamin B3 (Niacin) well takes four fields and a habit. Here is what to record so the log is still useful in three months.
- 1
Add the dose and unit
Log Vitamin B3 (Niacin) with its dose in mg so totals stay comparable over time — including days when you split the dose or skip it.
- 2
Set the time of day and food rule
Typical timing is with_meal. Take it with food, and record it that way so absorption stays consistent. Reminders fire at that time and can export to your calendar.
- 3
Check it against the rest of the stack
Run Vitamin B3 (Niacin) through the interaction checker against everything else in the routine — supplements, peptides, hormones and prescriptions — before it becomes a daily habit.
- 4
Log adherence, not intentions
Mark each dose taken, skipped or delayed as it happens. Weeks of honest logs are what make an adherence rate or a trend line meaningful; retrospective guessing is not.
- 5
Review against outcomes
Review Vitamin B3 (Niacin) alongside your logged metrics and any relevant blood work every few weeks before changing the dose, so the change is a response to data rather than to a good or bad day.
What to log each time
- Dose in mg
- Time of day and whether it was taken with food
- Taken / skipped / delayed
- Any side effects or notable changes
References & Evidence
Sources on this page that document Vitamin B3 (Niacin) dosing, timing and safety.
- [1]National Center for Biotechnology Information View source
Educational information only — not medical advice. Dose ranges vary by person, indication and prescriber.
What is Vitamin B3 (Niacin) studied for?
Deficiency-driven — not a performance booster
Vitamins primarily help when you're actually low. Extra doses on top of normal levels rarely add strength, endurance, or fat loss, and some fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) can build up to harmful levels.
- Confirm a deficiency with bloodwork before supplementing long-term (e.g. 25(OH)D for vitamin D, B12/folate, ferritin, magnesium RBC).
- Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about the right dose for your labs, medications, and conditions — especially in pregnancy, kidney/liver disease, or while on blood thinners.
- Re-test every 3–6 months and stop or lower the dose once levels are in range.
Educational information only — not medical advice. See our AI & medical policy.
What is Vitamin B3 (Niacin)?Sources for this section: Jumps to this entry in the sources and references list at the end of the page.
What does the research say about Vitamin B3 (Niacin)?
Tap a section to expand.
Source for this section: Sources for How does Vitamin B3 (Niacin) work?: Jumps to this entry in the sources and references list at the end of the page.
Source for this section: Sources for When should you take Vitamin B3 (Niacin)?: Jumps to this entry in the sources and references list at the end of the page.
What interacts with Vitamin B3 (Niacin)?
| Interacts with | Severity | Type | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any vitamin + medication | Note | Category ruleConfidence: theoretical | Certain vitamins interact with specific medications (e.g., vitamin K with blood thinners).Source pending | Specific pairs are checked against a licensed source; confirm with your provider. |
Frequently asked questions about Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Which studies looked at Vitamin B3 (Niacin)?
Peer-reviewed research indexed in PubMed. Each entry links to the original record.
- 1.Nutrition Information Briefs - Niacin(opens PubMed in a new tab)Adv Nutr · 2026 · PMID 42107767 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42107767/
Sources cited on this page
Specific documents referenced by the numbered markers above. Each number matches the marker in the text.
- PubChem CID 938(opens in a new tab)National Center for Biotechnology Information · pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/938
Verify at
Publisher search links for Vitamin B3 (Niacin). These are places to check the information — they are not citations, so they are not numbered.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements(publisher search, opens in a new tab)National Institutes of Health · publisher search
- MedlinePlus(publisher search, opens in a new tab)U.S. National Library of Medicine · publisher search
- Mayo Clinic(publisher search, opens in a new tab)Mayo Clinic · publisher search
- DrugBank(publisher search, opens in a new tab)DrugBank Online · publisher search
- FDA-approved labeling (DailyMed)(publisher search, opens in a new tab)U.S. Food and Drug Administration · publisher search
- Cochrane Library(publisher search, opens in a new tab)Cochrane · publisher search
- PubMed literature search(publisher search, opens in a new tab)National Library of Medicine · publisher search
- Wikipedia entry(publisher search, opens in a new tab)Wikipedia · publisher search
DoseRoutine compiles summaries from publicly available scientific and regulatory references. Always verify important decisions with a licensed clinician. How we source and review this information.
What is the short answer on Vitamin B3 (Niacin)?
Plain-text summary, safe to quote verbatim:
Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, is an essential water-soluble vitamin. It plays a crucial role in numerous metabolic processes, including converting food into energy, supporting cellular function, and maintaining DNA integrity. Research on Vitamin B3 (Niacin) focuses on heart and circulatory health.
Cite this page
Using this in an article, AI answer, or research note? Please attribute:
DoseRoutine. (2026). Vitamin B3 (Niacin) — Overview, Benefits & Side Effects. Retrieved from https://doseroutine.com/library/vitamin-b3-niacin
What compounds are similar to Vitamin B3 (Niacin)?
Others in the vitamin category or studied for the same goals.
Which goals is Vitamin B3 (Niacin) used for?
Other compounds studied for the same benefits as Vitamin B3 (Niacin).
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