Vitamin B3 is one of the vitamins
that make up the nutritional powerhouse known as the Vitamin B
complex. Vitamin B3 is also called niacin, nicotinic acid and niacinamide,
and serves many vital purposes in the functioning of the body and
the mind.
Vitamin B3 works with the other B vitamins to change food to energy.
It also serves to regulate the appetite, as well as the digestive
system. Its primary tasks within the digestive system relate to
controlling the levels at which bile and other stomach fluids are
secreted.
Among the other important contributions
Vitamin B3 makes to the health of the body is the essential
role it plays in the respiration
of the cells, its role in keeping the nervous system healthy,
and its relationship to the production of the hormones
associated with
reproduction. Vitamin B3 is also important to the health
of the body ’s biggest organ – the skin.
Vitamin B3 plays an important
role in mental health, and recent research has made some
intriguing connections between the use of
Vitamin B3 supplements and the production of serotonin. By
using the supplements, L-Tryptophan then doesn’t have to
be spent by the body in the making of niacin, thus freeing
the L-Tryptophan
to be taken to the nervous system, where it is processed
into 5-http, which leads to the production of serotonin,
important for mood
and feelings of well-being. Serotonin imbalance has been
shown to be associated with anxiety and depression.
Vitamin B3 is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that it is
washed out of the body via the urine and the body must renew its
supply of this vital nutrient daily. Deficiencies of vitamin B3
can have serious health consequences for both the body and the
mind.
Physical symptoms of a niacin deficiency can include muscular
weakness and a lack of muscular control, particularly in the larger
muscles masses, such as those found in the legs. Other physical
symptoms are open sores on the skin and in the mouth, a swollen
tongue and chronic bad breathe, loss of appetite, chronic diarrhea,
joint pain, low blood sugar and headaches. It can also cause the
disease pellagra, which presents with such symptoms as severe dermatitis,
diarrhea and dementia. Mental symptoms of a serious can include
depression, fatigue, and insomnia. The insomnia makes all of the
other symptoms, physical and mental, that much harder to bear.
Dietary supplements are a safe and effective way to be sure that
you meet the recommended daily requirements of B3 in your diet.
However, it is important to use dietary supplements according to
the standard dose levels, as taking too much can cause other health
problems, some serious in nature. There are cases in which higher
than standard does may be recommended, such as to combat symptoms
that have been brought about by deficiencies. However, taking does
higher than the standard levels should only be done when under
the care of a qualified healthcare professional. Dietary supplements,
like all medications, should always be kept out of the reach of
children.
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