From the Guidelines
Nicotinamide supplements have several benefits, including the potential to improve skin and cardiovascular health, with a relatively safe upper intake level of 900 mg/d for adults.
Benefits of Nicotinamide
- High upper intake level: The upper intake level (UL) for nicotinamide is set at 12.5 mg/kg body weight/d or approximately 900 mg/d for adults, with no adverse effects observed at doses up to 25 mg/kg body weight/d in prolonged studies in diabetic subjects 1.
- No flushing effects: Unlike nicotinic acid, nicotinamide does not cause flushing effects, even at high doses, making it a more tolerable option for supplementation 1.
- Potential health benefits: While the provided evidence does not explicitly state the benefits of nicotinamide supplements, it implies that they can be safely consumed at high doses, suggesting potential benefits for overall health, particularly for skin and cardiovascular health, although more research is needed to confirm these benefits.
Safety Considerations
- Uncertainty factor: An uncertainty factor of 2 was applied to determine the UL for nicotinamide, indicating a relatively safe margin for supplementation 1.
- Lack of adverse effects: No adverse effects were observed at doses up to 25 mg/kg body weight/d in prolonged studies in diabetic subjects, suggesting a good safety profile for nicotinamide supplements 1.
From the Research
Benefits of Nicotinamide Supplements
- Nicotinamide has been shown to have neuroprotective effects, playing a role in protecting neurons from traumatic injury, ischaemia, and stroke, as well as being implicated in 3 key neurodegenerative conditions: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases 2
- It has been used in the treatment of skin diseases such as acne vulgaris, melasma, atopic dermatitis, and rosacea, and has been shown to prevent nonmelanoma skin cancer 3
- Nicotinamide has been suggested to be effective against a wide spectrum of diseases and conditions, including neurological dysfunctions, depression and other psychological disorders, and inflammatory diseases 4
- It has been proposed as an adjunctive therapy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, due to its ability to inhibit Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1 (PARP-1) and increase NAD+ stores 5
- Nicotinamide has a favorable safety profile and is a low-cost, evidence-based oral treatment option for various skin conditions, including actinic keratosis, squamous cell carcinomas, basal cell carcinomas, and bullous pemphigoid 6
Potential Mechanisms of Action
- Nicotinamide's potential mechanisms of action include the general maintenance of cellular energy levels and the inhibition of molecules such as the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent deacetylase, sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) 2
- It has been shown to inhibit PARP-1, an enzyme with multiple cellular functions, including regulation of cell death, energy/metabolism and inflammatory response 5
- Nicotinamide may also exert a protective effect against neurodegeneration by diminishing neuroinflammation and microglial activation 5
Safety and Precautions
- High-level nicotinamide administration can exert negative effects through multiple routes, including inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), alteration of cellular energy metabolism, and changes in cellular methyl metabolism 4
- Chronic use of nicotinamide at high doses may be associated with potential risks for epigenetic alterations 4
- It is essential to note the difference between nicotinamide and niacin, as they have distinct safety profiles and effects on the body 6