Niacin News and Research

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Niacin (also known as vitamin B3, nicotinic acid and vitamin PP) is an organic compound with the formula C5H4NCO2H and, depending on the definition used, one of the between forty to eighty essential human nutrients.

$1.3 million grant funds clinical trial to test psilocybin for treating patients with phantom limb pain

The Psychedelics and Health Research Initiative at UC San Diego has received a $1.3 million grant from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation to fund a clinical trial investigating the therapeutic potential of psilocybin in treating phantom limb pain.

17 Feb 2021

Adding mushrooms to diet increases the intake of micronutrients

Researchers have identified another good reason to eat more mushrooms. New research , published in Food Science & Nutrition (January 2021) found that adding a mushroom serving to the diet increased the intake of several micronutrients, including shortfall nutrients such as vitamin D, without any increase in calories, sodium or fat.

1 Feb 2021

Vitamin B3 has therapeutic effect in progressive muscle disease

An international team of scientists, led by University of Helsinki reported that vitamin B3, niacin, has therapeutic effect in progressive muscle disease.

14 May 2020

Low-molecular-weight drugs could help against COVID-19 says study

Chinese researchers have worked on using existing low molecular weight drugs to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 disease.

10 May 2020

Psychedelic drug has enduring antianxiety and antidepressant effects in cancer patients

Following up on their landmark 2016 study, researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine found that a one-time, single-dose treatment of psilocybin, a compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, combined with psychotherapy appears to be associated with significant improvements in emotional and existential distress in cancer patients.

28 Jan 2020

New insights into the most perplexing medical mysteries associated with schizophrenia

Four unsolved mysteries around schizophrenia have long plagued the medical community, but a new hypothesis identifying a common link between them and an almost forgotten epidemic of a disease called pellagra could have profound implications for our understanding of psychosis in poorer nations.

12 Dec 2019

Discontinuing popular over-the-counter vitamin can lead of reversal of retinal swelling

In a first-of-its-kind clinical report, retina specialists at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai have shown that severe vision loss from a self-prescribed high dose of over-the-counter niacin is linked to injury of a specific cell type in a patient's eye.

29 Oct 2019

'Junk food' diet can lead to blindness

An extreme case of "fussy" or "picky" eating caused a young patient's blindness, according to a new case report published today [2 Sep 2019] in Annals of Internal Medicine.

3 Sep 2019

Uranium toxicity might have caused obesity and diabetes in Kuwait, finds new study

According to a new research report, the extremely high prevalence of diabetes and obesity in the Gulf nation of Kuwait might be linked to the very high levels of uranium in these individuals. This in turn could be associated with the large amounts of depleted uranium dumped here in the form of US munitions during the Gulf war of 1990-91.

9 Jul 2019

UK government to consider fortifying flour with folic acid to combat neural tube defects

A 12-week consultation has been launched to discuss whether folic acid should be added to flour in the UK.

13 Jun 2019

Poor sleep linked to a lack of essential vitamins and minerals

A new study suggests that sleep quality may be linked to a lack of essential vitamins in the diet, with the strongest association being seen in women.

10 Jun 2019

Study shows connection between poor sleep and poor nutrition

Many Americans get less than the recommended amount of sleep, and many do not consume the recommended amounts of important vitamins and minerals. A new study suggests the two factors may be connected.

10 Jun 2019

UK set to fortify flour with folic acid to prevent spine defects among newborns

Public Health Minister Steve Brine added that the move would be discussed with the ministers and is likely to raise folic acid consumption among pregnant mothers.

24 Oct 2018

Novel cellular pathway may clarify how arterial inflammation develops into atherosclerosis

Investigators have identified a new cellular pathway that may help explain how arterial inflammation develops into atherosclerosis-;deposits of cholesterol, fats and other substances that create plaque, clog arteries and promote heart attacks and stroke. The findings could lead to improved therapies for atherosclerosis, a leading cause of death worldwide.

22 Jun 2018

Nutrient supplements do not provide extra benefits says new Australian survey

According to a recent nutrition survey in Australia, 29 percent of the population are taking at least one dietary supplement a day. In the United States, at least 52 percent are taking a dietary supplement a day. The study attempted to look at the long term benefits offered by regular intake of vitamin and mineral supplements for the prevention of diseases such as heart disease and stroke as well as premature death.

30 May 2018

Study: Vitamin or mineral supplements are not beneficial for preventing or treating heart disease

Current research does not show enough evidence that vitamin or mineral supplements are beneficial for preventing or treating heart disease, with the exception of folic acid for reducing stroke risk, according to a review article published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

29 May 2018

American Heart Association certifies select peanuts with Heart-Check mark

The American Heart Association has certified select peanuts with the Heart-Check mark to make it easy for consumers to identify heart-healthy foods.

15 Feb 2018

CHOP researchers explore effective nutritional therapies for mitochondrial disease

Defects in mitochondria, the tiny structures that power our cells by functioning as biological batteries, cause an array of complex, often life-threatening disorders that can affect any and all organs and systems.

10 Jan 2018

Researchers uncover link between abdominal aortic aneurysm and dysregulated tryptophan metabolism

Researchers have found a link between dysregulated tryptophan metabolism and abdominal aortic aneurysm, a life-threatening vascular disease, according to a new study led by Georgia State University.

13 Nov 2017

Vitamin B3 supplementation during pregnancy may prevent birth defects, in-vivo study suggests

Supplementing the diet with vitamin B3 during pregnancy may treat the molecular deficiencies in women that can lead to birth defects, according to a landmark study in Australia. Over the last 12 years, developmental geneticist Sally Dunwoodie (Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney) and team have been studying the genes that influence fetal heart and bone development.

10 Aug 2017