Niacin Foods

Niacin Foods

Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin that functions as a coenzyme to help release energy from the food you eat. Unlike the other B vitamins, niacin is unique because it can be synthesized from the amino acid (building block of protein), tryptophan. This means that protein-rich foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and peanut butter may also be considered niacin foods.

Here is a list of foods that are a good source of niacin.

Click here for a printable copy of this list.

Water-soluble vitamins, as the name suggests, can be dissolved in water, so they are absorbed directly into your blood stream. They travel freely though the blood to the places in your body where they are needed and any excess can be filtered by the kidneys and excreted through the urine.

Niacin is more likely to survive the heat of cooking than most water-soluble vitamins, which are very susceptible to destruction during cooking.

Interesting Fact: Researchers have studied the effect of taking niacin for the prevention of heart disease. The results have been promising; however, the downside of this approach is that large doses of niacin can be toxic. As a practical matter, eating niacin-rich foods will have a beneficial effect, without the risk of toxicity.

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