Nicotinic acid, also known as niacin, is a B vitamin essential for human health found in eggs, fish, and green vegetables. It helps metabolize food, synthesizes DNA, and affects skin. Pellagra is a disease caused by a lack of niacin. Nicotinic acid can be used to treat pellagra, atherosclerosis, and high cholesterol. It can be administered orally or intravenously, but may have side effects.
Because of the name, people may incorrectly assume that nicotinic acid is something unhealthy. Nicotinic acid is another name for niacin, which is a general term for the B vitamin, an important vitamin that is essential for human health. Sources of niacin include eggs, fish, and green vegetables.
Vitamin B is not a single element; rather, it is a complex group of vitamins that are closely related. Nicotinic acid is a term that was once commonly used to refer to this group. This term was developed before it became clear that each of the vitamins in the group is unique. Niacin is a term that is also used interchangeably to refer to these vitamins.
A healthy body requires nicotinic acid. However, for the body to have it, it must be present in a person’s diet. This is because the body is not able to produce or store it. Therefore, a person must continuously consume it because the body constantly eliminates it as waste even though the body needs it.
One function of the vitamins in this group is that they are needed to help the body metabolize certain foods. The cells of the body also depend on nicotinic acid for the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Also, these vitamins affect the skin: too much or too little niacin can cause conditions such as dermatitis.
A common problem that results from a lack of nicotinic acid is pellagra. This disease, which is sometimes known as niacin deficiency, can be found mainly in poor populations in underdeveloped countries that are highly dependent on corn. You can also inflict alcoholics. Pellagra symptoms include skin problems, diarrhea, and mental disorders.
Nicotinic acid can be used for the treatment of not only pellagra, but other conditions as well. These include atherosclerosis and high cholesterol. Other conditions are also treated with niacin, but strong evidence of effectiveness is often not available. Although most people generally receive their niacin from natural sources under normal circumstances, it can be created synthetically. It can be administered orally or intravenously depending on the patient’s situation.
A person taking nicotinic acid may experience some side effects. Mild side effects include dry skin, upset stomach, and diarrhea. More serious and rare side effects include jaundice, circulatory collapse, and abnormal heartbeat. In many cases, the side effects are only temporary and subside after a while. It is believed that side effects can be significantly reduced if a person is given low starting doses.
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