Feeling Depressed? Try Taking Niacin

Feeling a bit blue lately? You might want to think about adding an inexpensive supplement to your diet everyday. Niacin (also known as B3) is a readily available over-the-counter supplement that has been found to improve mood in some people.

In fact, one of the first signs of vitamin B3 deficiency is anxiety and depression. Why would that be? Simple really, when we aren’t getting enough B3, our bodies may become deficient in an important neuro-transmitter called “serotonin.” Serotonin helps relieve stress and anxiety—so when we are low— we can become overly anxious and depressed.

More recently, taking high dosages of niacin has become popular; due to the fact that niacin has a lipid lowering effect and has been shown to be effective in helping to increase HDL (good cholesterol).

Niacin deficiency has been noted in people who suffer from alcoholism and in cultures that rely heavily on a corn-based diet (where the niacin is not easily digested unless the corn has been specially treated). Extreme deficiency of niacin causes a medical condition known as “pellagra.” pellagra is characterized by dermatitis, scaling of the skin, diarrhea, a swollen beefy red tongue, emotionally erratic behavior, and mental confusion.

Niacin can be purchased in 100 mg tablets. However, if taking this much niacin causes you to have side effects, like hot flushes, you may try 250 mg-500 mg Slo-Niacin or no-flush niacin currently on the market.

Another option, that I prefer, is to have people simply start taking a B-Complex that includes niacin; as well as other important B vitamins, like B12 and folic acid, also found to improve mood.

Foods high in niacin include lean meats, legumes, like peanuts and lentils. Niacin is also found in small quantities in grains, vegetables and fruit.

The simplest and easiest changes to our diets can have the most amazing impact on our moods and well-being. We sometimes see young people, after they go away to college, become depressed. And I believe part of that change in mood may be due to bad dietary choices. By educating our children early on about the importance of diet to our health and well-being, hopefully, these deficiencies can be avoided.