What is another name for the vitamin B3?

Another name for vitamin B3 is niacin. In everyday nutrition, “niacin” is used for vitamin B3, although the vitamin technically refers to a family of related compounds, including nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, also called niacinamide.

The body converts vitamin B3 compounds into NAD and NADP, coenzymes needed for energy metabolism, cellular signaling, and DNA repair. The vitamin can come from foods such as meat, poultry, tuna, salmon, peanuts, legumes, fortified grains, and nutritional yeast. The body can also make some niacin from the amino acid tryptophan.

Severe deficiency causes pellagra, traditionally associated with the symptoms dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia. Fortifying flour and other grains with niacin has greatly reduced pellagra in many countries. Niacin should not be confused with nicotine: the name “niacin” was promoted partly to prevent people from associating this essential nutrient with tobacco’s addictive chemical. Nicotinic acid supplements can cause skin flushing, while nicotinamide generally does not.