Hyla Cass, M.D.
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 Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Extreme vitamin b3 deficiency, called pellagra, causes psychosis and dementia. Less extreme deficiency can cause milder versions of these mental symptoms. Use non-flush version if desired (see page 70).
Dose: 40-100 mg daily.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
Vitamin B5 is a catalyst, or helper, in making neurotransmitters and "fight or flight" hormones. A deficiency leads to fatigue, depression, and difficulty handling stress.
Dose: 100-500 mg daily. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
Vitamin B6 is a cofactor in turning the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin. |
| Dose: 25 mg daily. vitamin b3 (Niacin)
Extreme vitamin b3 deficiency, called pellagra, causes psychosis and dementia. Less extreme deficiency can cause milder versions of these mental symptoms. Use non-flush version if desired (see page 70).
Dose: 40-100 mg daily.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
Vitamin B5 is a catalyst, or helper, in making neurotransmitters and "fight or flight" hormones. A deficiency leads to fatigue, depression, and difficulty handling stress.
Dose: 100-500 mg daily. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
Vitamin B6 is a cofactor in turning the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin. |
| Dose: 25 mg daily. vitamin b3 (Niacin)
Extreme vitamin b3 deficiency, called pellagra, causes psychosis and dementia. Less extreme deficiency can cause milder versions of these mental symptoms. Use non-flush version if desired (see page 70).
Dose: 40-100 mg daily.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
Vitamin B5 is a catalyst, or helper, in making neurotransmitters and "fight or flight" hormones. A deficiency leads to fatigue, depression, and difficulty handling stress.
Dose: 100-500 mg daily. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
Vitamin B6 is a cofactor in turning the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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 Folic Acid
Recommended dietary allowance (RDA):
Pregnant: 600 meg per day
Nursing: 500 meg per day
Food sources: green leafy vegetables, nuts, whole grains, liver, watercress (avoid in first trimester), parsley, dandelion
Vitamin B3 (Niacin, Nicotinic Acid). vitamin b3 (niacin) supplementation in the first trimester has been positively correlated in studies with higher birth weight, longer length, and greater newborn head circumference, all signs of healthier infants.34 Good food sources of niacin are wheat germ, fish, and garlic. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Vitamin B3 in any form should not be taken in amounts greater than 1,000 mg per day, unless supervised by a doctor.
According to my good friend Shari Lieberman, Ph.D, C.N.S., vitamin b3 may be lost in cooking water, so steam, bake, or stir-fry vegetables to spare as much of it as possible. neck. For this reason, the extended-release instead of the immediate-release niacin may be a better option. |
Hyla Cass
See book keywords and concepts |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Extreme vitamin b3 deficiency, called pellagra, causes psychosis and dementia. Less extreme deficiency can cause milder versions of these mental symptoms. Use non-flush version if desired (see page 70).
Dose: 40-100 mg daily.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
Vitamin B5 is a catalyst, or helper, in making neurotransmitters and "fight or flight" hormones. A deficiency leads to fatigue, depression, and difficulty handling stress.
Dose: 100-500 mg daily. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
Vitamin B6 is a cofactor in turning the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin. |
| Note: If you're taking primidone or carbamazepine, note that vitamin b3 interferes with the breakdown of the drugs, and can cause an unsafely high drug level.
Needed supplements: Depending on the drug you are using, you'll use:
• Calcium: 1,000-1,200 mg daily with 400-600 mg of magnesium.
• Carnitine: 500-2,000 mg daily of L-carnitine or acetyl-L-carnitine.
• Vitamin B-complex: Use a B-complex or multivitamin that contains 25 mg of Bj, 25 mg of B2, 50 mg of B3, 50 mg of B6, 400-800 meg of folic acid, 10 meg of BJ2, and 50 mg each of biotin and B5. |
| Vitamin B, (thiamine)
25 mg
Essential for many biochemical
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) vitamin b3 (niacin/niacinamide) Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
25 mg 50 mg 50 mg 50 mg processes in the body such as nervous system function and cellular energy production. Controls levels of homocysteine, implicated in heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Vitamin Bq (cyanocobalamin)
10 meg
Biotin
50 meg
Folic acid
400 meg
Vitamin C
250-1,000 mg
Functions as antioxidant and immune-booster; promotes gum and connective tissue health.
Vitamin D
400-2000IU
Builds bone. |
Dr. Steve Blake
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 Pyridoxine is:
(a) Vitamin Br
(b) vitamin b3.
(c) Vitamin B6.
(d) Vitamin B12.
4. Niacin in the form of nicotinic acid, when taken in large doses, can cause:
(a) Lowered energy production.
(b) Loss of weight.
(c) Flushing of skin.
(d) Higher total blood cholesterol.
5. The B vitamins that can be made by bacteria in the large intestines:
(a) Biotin.
(b) Vitamin B12.
(c) Pantothenic acid.
(d) All of the above.
6. Transamination is:
(a) A trancelike state resulting from overdoses of folic acid.
(b) The synthesis of amino acids from parts of other amino acids. |
Marshall Editions
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 Supplements: If tests show that your levels of DHEA, a steroid hormone, are low, take 50 mg daily under your doctor's supervision. vitamin b3 or niacin is required to improve blood flow. Use the no-flush niacin found in most health food stores and take 250 mg three times a day. Zinc promotes health for the prostate and helps with testosterone synthesis. Take 30 mg twice a day, plus 3 mg of copper to avoid deficiency.
Herbs: Panax ginseng improves energy, sexual function, and libido in men. Take 100 mg three times a day of a product standardized to 4-7% ginsenosides. |
Dr. Steve Blake
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| Riboflavin is known as:
(a) Vitamin B r
(b) Vitamin B2.
(c) vitamin b3.
(d) Vitamin B4.
3. Microwave cooking destroys:
(a) Pyridoxine.
(b) Pantothenic acid.
(c) Cobalamin.
(d) Thiamin.
4. The only vitamin that contains cobalt is:
(a) Biotin.
(b) Niacin.
(c) Thiamin.
(d) Cobalamin.
5. A perceived deficiency of pyridoxine may also be caused by a deficiency of:
(a) Riboflavin.
(b) Cobalamin.
(c) Biotin.
(d) Pantothenic acid.
6. Our bodies make energy using:
(a) Catabolism.
(b) Anabolism.
(c) Cannibalism.
(d) Electricity.
7. B vitamins act as:
(a) Enzymes.
(b) Coenzymes. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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| Folic acid: 400-800 meg
• Vitamin B3: 25 mg daily.
• Vitamin B6: 10-50 mg daily. Vitamin B6 is strongly depleted by this drug, and this depletion is believed to be the reason for a common side effect: nerve damage in the hands and feet. Supplementing isoniazid with this vitamin is recommended even by mainstream medicine. See pages 48-52 for more on the B vitamins).
• Vitamin D: 1,000 mg daily.
LEVODOPA (L-DOPA)
This medication is used to treat Parkinson's disease (PD). |
Dr. Julian Whitaker
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| They were given either vitamin b3 (in a form containing 141.7 milligrams of nicotinic acid) or a placebo. When the memory tests were repeated after eight weeks of supplementation, test results revealed 10- to 40-percent improvements in both short-term and long-term memory, compared to the placebo group.
Deficiencies in vitamin b3 have been linked to short-term memory loss, fatigue, depression, and dementia. vitamin b3 has been used as a treatment for mental disorders, such as schizophrenia.
Suggested Dosage: 200 milligrams of vitamin b3 daily. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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 Inositol hexaniacinate, another form of vitamin b3, has shown no toxicity and may be the best choice for this supplement.
Vitamin B5(pantothenic acid)
Vitamin B5(pantothenic acid) is vital for synthesis of hormones and support of the adrenal glands. Pantothenic acid deficiency can cause fatigue, insomnia, and depression.32
Food sources: Liver, meat, chicken, whole grains, and legumes. Eating a variety of foods can ensure adequate levels of vitamin B5.
Supplements: Pantothenic acid is the most common form of vitamin B5 in supplements, but sometimes pantothine is used. |
Dr. Steve Blake
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| You may recall that nicotinamide is a form of niacin, vitamin b3.
Iron as an Antioxidant
Cells need protection from any accumulation of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide can cause free radical damage inside cells. Certain enzymes that contain heme can catalyze reactions that neutralize the free radical hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is converted to water and oxygen, as shown in Figure 11-3. In this case, iron in heme acts as an antioxidant.
A Free Radical
Enzymes containing heme
Figure 11-3 Enzymes containing heme catalyze the conversion of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. |
| In one case, a mineral, iron, and an essential amino acid, tryptophan, are both needed to synthesize niacin, vitamin b3. The best way to avoid a deficiency of B vitamins is to eat a varied diet of fresh fruit, an abundance of vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and other food as desired. Some of these B vitamins can also be made by friendly bacteria in a healthy colon and absorbed into circulation. |
Marshall Editions
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| Take 200-400 mg of chromium picolinate a day. vitamin b3 (niacin) is a component of j glucose tolerance factor, vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) helps to control fat metabolism and improves the response to stress, and vitamin B6 balances hormone levels. It is best to take 50 mg of a B-complex vitamin that contains all the above B vitamins three times a day. Inositol increases the effectiveness of insulin in I people with PCOS, reduces male hormone levels, and restores normal periods. Although inositol can be found in a B-complex vitamin, a total of 500 mg should be taken twice a day. |
Dr. Steve Blake
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| Another enzyme used in aerobic energy production needs iron and vitamin Br Iron works with vitamin b3, niacin, to transport electrons in the electron transport chain. The final step in the electron transport chain uses a complex containing iron and two copper atoms.
Copper is used in an enzyme called cytochrome c oxidase in the energy-producing mitochondria in the cell. The availability of copper is needed to make ATP.
Potassium is needed by an enzyme called pyruvate kinase. This enzyme is used to break down carbohydrates for energy production in the cell. |
Marshall Editions
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| Nicotinamide (a form of vitamin b3) taken at 2-4 g a day may help protect against bacterial endotoxin, which causes septic shock. Glutamine added to parenteral nutrition (nutrients given through the veins when someone cannot take oral nutrition) may protect the intestines and prevent complications from septic shock. If a dose can be tolerated, take 20-30 mg in divided doses. Consult a naturopathic physician about parenteral administration.
HOMEOPATHY
Shock constitutes a medical emergency and demands immediate medical treatment. |
Jack Challem
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 In addition to lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, this particular form of vitamin b3 raises the "good" high-density lipoprotein form of cholesterol. Note: Taking niacin causes a flushing sensation, in which you will turn beet red for about one hour. Some people find the reaction very uncomfortable, although it does ease with daily use.
• Sytrinol, 150 mg, once or twice daily. This supplement is a proprietary combination of beta-sitosterol, flavonoids, and tocotrienols (part of the vitamin E family of molecules).
• Magnesium, 300 to 400 mg daily. |
| The term polynicotinate indicates that the chromium is bound to vitamin b3, sometimes called nicotinic acid.)
Meanwhile, research has shown that chromium picolinate helps to prevent weight gain associated with the use of the diabetic drug glipizide (Glucotrol). Other forms of chromium, such as chromium glycinate chelate, may work as well. Regardless of the specific form, the research on chromium and diabetes points to the greater efficacy of higher dosages, so we recommend trying 500 meg twice daily. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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| Niacin, also known as vitamin b3, is known for its ability to dilate blood vessels as well. In addition, oils such as L-menthol from mint oil, rosemary oil, and cinnamon oil can increase local blood flow and have warming and stimulating effects when formulated in a cream and applied to the genital tissues.
As discussed earlier in the hormone section, topical testosterone cream is also a valuable tool to enhance genital arousal and orgasm. |
| Niacin or vitamin b3 has been shown in clinical research to be effective in 87.5 percent of women with menstrual cramps.14 Niacin was given in 100 mg doses twice daily throughout the month, and then every two to three hours during the periods of menstrual cramps. Although a sometimes uncomfortable niacin flush could easily occur at the escalated dosing, none of the women in the study stopped the medication due to the flushing. Interestingly, the women who received no relief of their menstrual cramps were frequently the women who reported no flushing. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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| Niacinamide, the alternative source of vitamin b3, offers no benefit in cholesterol management.
Some products are promoted or labeled as "no-flush niacin" but are really only niacin-like compounds, which may have nutritional value or improve circulation but have not been tested exhaustively in humans like niacin has for its cholesterol benefit. The ingredient section on supplement packaging will indicate the source of the raw ingredient. Make sure the label shows "niacin or nicotinic acid. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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| These include magnesium, linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid), vitamin B6, zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin b3. On the other hand, arachidonic acid is a precursor to PgE2, which has antagonistic effects with regard to PgEl. Think of PgEl as the good guy and PgE2 as the bad guy. Vegetable oils are rich sources of linoleic acid, and animal fats are the main dietary sources of arachidonic acid; therefore, patients with PMS would be wise to decrease their consumption of animal fats and increase their consumption of polyunsaturated vegetable oils so that they have more of the good guy, PgEl. |
Dr. Jonathan Prousky, BPHE, BSc, ND, FRSH
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 Hoffer A. vitamin b3 dependent child. Schizophrenia 1971;3:107-13.
40. Hoffer A. Dr. Hoffer's ABC of Natural Nutrition for Children. Kingston, ON: Quarry Press Inc, 1999; rev. ed. Healing Children's Attention and Behavior Disorders. Toronto, ON: CCNM Press Inc., 2004.
41. Werbach MR. Adverse effects of nutritional supplements. Foundations of Nutritional Medicine. Tarzanna, CA: Third Line Press, Inc, 1997:133-60.
42. Winter SL, Boyer JL. Hepatic toxicity from large doses of vitamin b3 (nicotinamide). N Engl J Med 1973;289:1180-82.
43. Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine [www.cebm. |
Dr. Abram Hoffer, MD, FRCP (C) and Dr. Harold D. Foster, PhD
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 Hoffer A. vitamin b3 and Schizophrenia: Discovery, Recovery, Controversy. Kingston, ON: Quarry Press, 1998.
5 Hoffer A and Mahon M. The presence of unidentified substances in the urine of psychiatric patients. J of Neuropsychiatry 1961;2:287-374.
6 Pfeiffer, CC. Mental and Elemental Nutrients. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing Inc., 1975.
7 Hoffer A, Pauling L. Healing Cancer: Complementary Vitamin & Drug Treatments. Toronto, ON: CCNM Press, 2004.
8 McGinnis WR. Urinary pyrrole (Mauve Factor): Metric for oxidative stress in behavioral disorders. |
Dr. Steve Blake
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| The form of vitamin b3 that can cause skin flushing is:
(a) Niacinamide.
(b) Niacin.
(c) Nicotinamide.
(d) All of the above.
5. Riboflavin helps reactivate this important antioxidant:
(a) Tryptophan.
(b) Cobalamin.
(c) Biotin.
(d) Glutathione.
6. Part of our niacin requirement can be met by dietary:
(a) Tryptophan.
(b) Lysine.
(c) Methionine.
(d) Leucine.
7. Niacin deficiency can cause:
(a) Blindness.
(b) Pellagra.
(c) Beriberi.
(d) Scurvy.
8. Which B vitamin makes up a large part of coenzyme A?
(a) Pantothenic acid.
(b) Tryptophan.
(c) Thiamin.
(d) Biotin.
9. |
Jack Challem
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 Note: Although the niacin form of vitamin b3 causes an intense flush, niacinamide does not.
Magnesium. A mild deficiency of magnesium has been associated with anxiety. In addition, a lack of magnesium increases blood levels of lactate, which is associated with anxiety. Take 400 to 600 mg daily of magnesium citrate or magnesium citrate malate, in divided doses with meals. If you develop loose stools, decrease the dose slightly.
GABA and L-theanine. Gamma aminobutyric acid is one of the body's key relaxing neurotransmitters. |
Gary Null and Amy McDonald
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 Emily Kane, in an article published by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians in HealthWorld Online, adds her recommendations, with the reminder to first consult with a nutritionist or naturopath: vitamin B-complex injected into the muscle every two to ten days; omega-3 fatty acids (such as raw flax or linseed oil, one teaspoon daily); omega-6 fatty acids, found in fish, and olive oil; vitamin b3, 500 milligrams at the start of the migraine; magnesium in doses of 400 to 800 milligrams daily; and Quercetin, 500 milligrams per day.
Dr. |
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