Niacin – a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023

Niacin is the precursor to pyridine nucleotides NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) and NADP (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate). Niacin (vitamin B₃) is the common term for nicotinic acid, nicotinamide and derivatives that exhibit the biological activity of nicotinamide. Furthermore, the indispensable amino acid tryptophan is the substrate for de novo synthesis of NAD. Thus, the requirements and intake of niacin are expressed as niacin equivalents (NE).

The focus of interest for niacin over the last decade has primarily been on pharmacological doses of nicotinic acid as a lipid-lowering agent and other NAD precursors as potential enhancers of cellular NAD⁺ concentrations. None of these studies, however, makes a useful contribution to understanding dietary requirements in healthy populations.

The requirement for niacin is estimated based on the relationship between intake and biochemical indices of niacin status, primarily urinary excretion of nicotinamide metabolites