Vitamin B3 Deficiency: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

Vitamin B3 deficiency leads to serious health consequences such as cognitive decline, low energy, depression and other mental disorders. Niacin or vitamin B3 is crucial to human health mainly because it is a coenzyme. In fact, close to 400 enzymes depend on it for their optimum activity. 

Hence, it is crucial to know what causes vitamin B3 deficiency, the symptoms to look out for and learn some effective preventive measures as well. Read on and find out!

Vitamin B3 is also known as niacin. Niacin or nicotinic acid is one of the 8 known types of vitamin B. Vitamin B3 deficiency or Niacin deficiency occurs when the body cannot absorb the vitamin or gets little of it.

In fact, the deficiency extends up to the body’s inability to absorb tryptophan, which is the amino acid precursor of niacin.

Below are some of the functions of vitamin B3:

• Niacin or nicotinic acid helps to keep the nervous system working properly
• Further, it helps the body make sex-related hormones and stress-related hormones
• It helps to improve circulation and maintain cholesterol levels
• Moreover, it also helps to break down fats and proteins
• Vitamin B3 helps to convert carbohydrates into glucose

There are two types of vitamin B3 deficiency diseases.

Primary Pellagra

When a diet is low in niacin, the person is at risk for primary pellagra. For example, those whose diet includes maize as a staple are at higher risk for developing primary pellagra.

Secondary Pellagra

A person who cannot absorb vitamin B3 despite having a diet rich in vitamin B3 is at risk for secondary pellagra.

The persons who are at risk for vitamin B3 deficiency are:

• Alcoholism can cause the deficiency of niacin because of malnutrition.
• Other risk factors of secondary pellagra are malnutrition, Crohn’s disease, anorexia, HIV, Hartnup disease, dialysis, drugs for tuberculosis, carcinoid syndrome.

The vitamin B3 deficiency symptoms mostly became known with the discovery of pellagra.

The signs of vitamin B3 deficiency are:

• A pigmented rash appears when the skin is exposed to the sun
• Apathy or fatigue
• Bright red tongue
• Circulatory problems
• Constipation
• Decreased appetite
• Depression
• Diarrhoea
• Hallucinations
• Headache
• Memory loss
• Oral ulcers
• The rough appearance of the skin
• Tongue swelling
• Vomiting

The symptoms of vitamin B3 deficiency in adults are the same as those in children.

Severe cases of vitamin B3 deficiency result in pellagra, which can result in death if unchecked. The symptoms of pellagra are:

• Dementia
• Diarrhoea
• Dermatitis

These vitamin B3 deficiency signs and symptoms should be taken seriously and treated.

The most common vitamin B3 deficiency causes are as follows:

• A low intake of other vitamins such as B2, B6, iron, which can reduce tryptophan into niacin
• Any condition prevents the body from converting tryptophan to niacin, such as Hartnup disease or carcinoid syndrome
• Further, having a diet low in tryptophan
• Under nutrition due to alcohol use disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, or anorexia

In mild form, you may notice some of the symptoms of vitamin B3 deficiency diseases. However, when the deficiency increases, it often leads to pellagra, which is a disease caused due to deficiency of vitamin B3.

Hence, the deficiency of vitamin B3 causes these diseases:

• Pellagra
• Dementia
• Dermatitis
• Diarrhoea

The deficiency of vitamin B3, in the long run, can lead to pellagra. Pellagra is the severest disease that arises from the lack of vitamin B3. Some of the symptoms of pellagra are dementia, dermatitis, and diarrhoea.

The prevention of vitamin B3 deficiency can be achieved by consuming food items rich in vitamin B3 such as red meat, fish, fortified bread, cereals, poultry, peanuts, and enriched pasta.

One can easily correct Vitamin B3 deficiency. The doctor may prescribe a high dose of niacin for 5 days, and symptoms will improve in 2 days.

In conclusion, if one can diagnose vitamin B3 deficiency quickly, it is easily treatable. However, sometimes vitamin B3 deficiency may be misdiagnosed as alcohol withdrawal symptoms for those who consume alcohol.

Therefore, consult with your doctor before taking supplements!