Did you know there are 8 kinds of Vitamin B and one of them can slow down the aging process?
These B complex vitamins are made up of thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folate (B9) and cobalamin (B12).
Vitamin B3 —or niacin— is made up of three chemical forms called nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, and nicotinamide riboside that play a big part in your metabolism and aging.
How Niacin Works In Your Body
Nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, and nicotinamide riboside are building blocks of NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) which is critical in optimal cell regeneration. Cell regeneration is what keeps your body young.
The creation of NAD in our body depletes as you age so increasing the intake of niacin as you age is important to maintain healthy energy metabolism and, in turn, cell regeneration.
In the study, “Niacin Cures Systemic NAD + Deficiency and Improves Muscle Performance in Adult-Onset Mitochondrial Myopathy”, published in early 2020, the patients in the study had adult-onset mitochondrial myopathy, which is a neuromuscular disease caused by damage to the mitochondria.
The mitochondria is known as the powerhouse of the cell because it is responsible for energy production and the signaling of cell death.
Life Extension Advocacy Foundation published an article explaining the results of the study.
The article says, the study “shows that niacin supplements are not simply filtered out by the liver; in fact, they reach the bloodstream in significant amounts to elevate NAD+ levels there.”
This is great news because nutrients in the bloodstream can be absorbed by the body instead of filtered as wastes by the liver.
What’s Next?
Niacin is a precursor to NAD which is vital in cell regeneration. NAD creation depletes as you age so you need to increase your intake of niacin as you get older to maintain healthy cell regeneration.
Although the study showed niacin being absorbed into the bloodstream, your body cannot store vitamin B3 for long periods of time, and excess vitamin B3 not absorbed by the body passes through as waste, so you need to constantly restore these vitamins through food or supplements.
Here’s a chart from the Food Data for top 10 foods high in vitamin B3 or if you’d like to find more vegetables high in vitamin B3.
Learn more: 5 Things You Need to Know About Niacin
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