Vitamin PP – properties, role, effect on health. Vitamin PP deficiency

Proven content

Vitamin PP is also referred to as vitamin B3 or niacin. In addition to supporting blood circulation, digestion, and brain activity, vitamin PP helps maintain healthy skin and lowers LDL cholesterol. Optimal intake of vitamin PP helps to relieve inflammation and relieve symptoms of arthritis. Read which products contain the most vitamin PP and what health properties it has.

Vitamin PP in particular plays an important role in digestion, mental health, heart health, nervous system, maintaining healthy skin, producing various hormones, and acting as a precursor to the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD +) coenzyme.

Vitamin PP is also slightly more complex than the average vitamin. It naturally comes in several different forms, each of which has slightly different effects on the body.

Learn all about vitamin PP, its different forms and health benefits, signs of deficiency, common food sources, and when to consider supplementing below.

Read: Vitamin D3 – the vitamin that builds the body

Of these, nicotinic acid and nicotinamide are the main forms of vitamin PP – both are widely available from the same food sources and sold as dietary supplements. NR, on the other hand, is quite poor in food numbers and has only recently begun to be marketed as a supplement.

All three forms of vitamin PP are converted in the body into an important coenzyme called NAD +. NAD + is found in all living cells and plays an important role in energy metabolism and maintaining the proper functioning of cells – especially in the functioning of our mitochondria, which turn food and oxygen into energy. It also plays an important role in protecting cells throughout the body from age-related damage and deterioration of function.

While all three forms of vitamin PP share common characteristics, each has slightly different effects on the body and plays a different role when taken as a supplement:

1. nicotinic acid: this form of vitamin PP is readily available in the diet. As a supplement, it is often used to treat high cholesterol and heart disease, and is often referred to as niacin. It also supports circulation, and additional doses can cause the so-called “Niacin erythema”, skin that becomes red and itchy. Our bodies can convert nicotinic acid into nicotinamide.
2. nicotinamide (aka niacinamide): This form of vitamin PP is also readily available from food. This is the form that usually appears in multivitamins and fortified foods like cereals. As a supplement, it is effective in treating skin diseases, arthritis and early-onset type 1 diabetes. It is also increasingly added to skin care products (where it is often mentioned as niacinamide) for its anti-inflammatory and photoprotective properties.
3. nicotinamide riboside (NR): Found mainly in NR supplements (and in trace amounts in milk), NR is the recently discovered form of vitamin PP. It is not widely used, but it is believed to improve cognitive function and slow down the aging process. Compared to the other two forms of vitamin PP, it most effectively supports the neuronal synthesis of NAD + in the body and brain.

See: Research confirms the link between viruses and type 1 diabetes

Vitamin PP – application

What action does vitamin PP have? First of all, it is a component of enzymes involved in the transformation (synthesis and decomposition) of sugars, amino acids and fats in order to release energy. The body also needs it for the proper functioning of the peripheral nervous system and the formation of red cells and improves the blood supply to the skin.

The nicotinic acid it contains is involved in the synthesis of sex hormones, cortisol, thyroxine and insulin. It is an antipelagrin factor, hence its colloquial term – PP.

Vitamin PP – Effects on Heart Health

High doses of vitamin PP in the form of nicotinic acid are recognized for lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol, raising “good” HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides – a type of fat found in the blood that can lead to atherosclerosis, which is characterized by narrowing of the arteries due to plaque build-up fatty tissue.

In particular, studies show that nicotinic acid has a beneficial effect on all lipids (e.g. by raising HDL cholesterol and lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides), making it a natural alternative for treating people with mixed hyperlipidemia.

Additionally, nicotinic acid plays a role in changing the composition of LDL cholesterol particles from small and dense to large and more resilient. Larger LDL particles are much less harmful, suggesting nicotinic acid may play a role in reducing the risk of atherosclerosis.

Also read: An ingredient in tomatoes can protect against atherosclerosis

Vitamin PP – effect on the brain

Vitamin PP supports normal brain function, and severe deficiency has been associated with dementia, leading some researchers to believe that getting enough in the diet is key to preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Deficiency is also associated with symptoms of psychosis, and nicotinic acid and nicotinamide supplementation is used to treat schizophrenia.

The form of vitamin PP known as NR is of particular interest when it comes to brain health and Alzheimer’s disease prevention. In a recent study, researchers found that mice treated with NR had less DNA damage, higher neuroplasticity, increased production of new neurons, and lower levels of neuronal damage.

In the brain’s hippocampus (where damage and loss of volume are found in dementia), NR appeared to either remove existing DNA damage or prevent it from spreading further. The mice also performed better on memory tests.

However, research into the long-term effects of NR on human health is still scarce. Much more research is needed to determine if it would have a similar effect.

The editorial board recommends: Sudden cot death associated with a defect in the development of the hippocampus

Vitamin PP and blood sugar levels

One of the greatest benefits of vitamin PP is its ability to balance blood sugar levels and control the symptoms of diabetes. In fact, vitamin PP in the form of niacinamide is believed to benefit diabetes by improving the function of beta cells, which are responsible for the production of insulin.

Not only are diabetic patients often able to control their blood sugar more effectively with vitamin PP, but also lower the risk of high blood cholesterol and heart disease, which are often seen in people with diabetes.

It’s important to note that some studies suggest that vitamin PP may also contribute to complications from rising blood sugar levels.

The editorial board recommends: What should the diet look like in case of heart disease?

Vitamin PP and impotence

Impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction, is a man’s inability to maintain an erection. This can interfere with sexual satisfaction and can be partly caused by low blood flow and poor circulation, as well as other factors such as stress, fatigue, and serious illness.

Vitamin PP supplementation can help men with erectile dysfunction as this vitamin has a vasodilating effect and improves blood flow throughout the body.

Vitamin PP – health properties

Sleep is one of the most important ways to stay healthy. Research shows that vitamin PP calms the brain’s receptors, making it easier to fall asleep.

Since vitamin PP opens up blood vessels, it can help with many skin problems. This includes the skin’s ability to absorb vitamin D from sunlight while minimizing acne outbreaks.

Some studies also show that vitamin PP can also help people who are very sensitive to motion sickness. Experts suggest taking a vitamin PP supplement before driving or traveling by plane.

Read also: What are the side effects of diphenhydramine?

Vitamin PP – deficiency

Vitamin PP deficiency is rare, because the human body produces it independently from the intestinal bacterial flora or synthesizes it from a protein molecule – tryptophan. Its deficiency manifests itself in pellagra, which occurs in diabetics, alcoholics, people suffering from liver diseases, malabsorption syndromes and cancer. Untreated, it can even lead to death!

The long-term use of anti-tuberculosis drugs – isoniazids can also lead to the lack of an adequate amount of vitamin PP in the body.

Small vitamin PP deficiencies can reduce cold tolerance as they slow down the metabolism. For people with malabsorption, the symptom may be a red, scaly rash on the skin and increased sensitivity to sunlight.

Vitamin PP deficiency – pellagra

Vitamin PP deficiency can cause pellagra, a condition that most often occurs in poor areas and in people with eating disorders or alcoholism. Symptoms of pellagra can include problems such as muscle weakness, digestive issues, inflammation, and skin irritation.

People with pellagra usually have very low levels of vitamin PP and other B vitamins, which is caused by low vitamin PP intake or other factors such as problems with protein metabolism or amino acid absorption. When vitamin PP levels are not restored, people with pellagra can die in just a few years from a deficiency. A common treatment for pellagra is to prescribe a high level of a PP vitamin called nicotinamide.

See: Taking B vitamins may lower your risk of stroke

Vitamin PP – Recommended Intake

Vitamin PP is present in meat (veal, beef, pork liver) and many vegetables, such as green peas, peas, tomatoes, beans, dry beans, soybeans, potatoes, as well as sunflower seeds, barley seeds, yeast. It can be found in fresh fish such as carp, salmon and herring. Cheese and orange juice can also be sources of it. The highest content of vitamin PP (over 10 mg) has chicken breast meat and tenderloin, chicken liver, beef and pork liver, as well as peanuts.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin PP is:

1. for children from 1 to 3 years of age – 6 mg,
2. for children from 4 to 6 years of age – 8 mg,
3. for children from 7 to 9 years of age – 12 mg,
4. boys and girls from 10 to 12 years of age – 12 mg,
5. boys from 13 to 18 years of age – 16 mg,
6. girls from 13 to 18 years of age – 14 mg,
7. men – 16 mg,
8. women – 14 mg,
9. pregnant women – 18 mg,
10. nursing women – 17 mg.

The upper limit for adult women and men is 35 mg / day.

Vitamin PP – precautions

Much research to date has looked at the efficacy, safety, side effects and pharmacological properties of vitamin PP. While more research is still needed to draw firm conclusions, some preliminary studies indicate that vitamin PP may be difficult to tolerate for some people, which may result in several unwanted side effects.

Considering the positive qualities of taking vitamin PP with its potential side effects, researchers found that vitamin PP, taken alone or in combination with other drugs or supplements, has beneficial effects, especially when it comes to heart health. However, due to the unusual range of possible side effects of vitamin PP, doctors recommend that supplementation be taken only as directed and preferably under medical supervision.

However, if you eat foods rich in vitamin PP, the chances of unwanted side effects are very small. On the other hand, taking high doses of supplements can cause a range of possible symptoms, including:

1. nausea or vomiting
2. skin reactions and rashes
3. headaches,
4. dizziness,
5. allergic reactions: vitamin PP supplements – can cause allergies as some contain histamines, which are chemicals that can trigger allergy symptoms
6. heart problems and irregular heartbeat
7. increased blood sugar levels,
8. gout
9. low blood pressure,
10. stomach or intestinal ulcers.

Other drugs that are often taken with vitamin PP that contain or interact with vitamin PP include colestipol, laropiprant, lovastatin, simvastatin, and inositol hexanicotinate. If you are taking any of these medications, experience any unwanted side effects, or have any concerns, be sure to speak to your doctor to determine the best dose and treatment regimen.