Niacin vs Niacinamide vs Nicotinamide: What's the Difference?
Introduction
Niacin, niacinamide, and nicotinamide are different forms of vitamin B3, also known as niacin or nicotinic acid. These forms of vitamin B3 are often used interchangeably, but they have unique properties and benefits that make them distinct from one another. In this article, we will discuss the differences between niacin, niacinamide, and nicotinamide, and the benefits and drawbacks of each.Niacin:
Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in energy production, DNA repair, and cell signaling. It is water-soluble and is not stored in the body, which means that it must be obtained through the diet or supplementation.Niacin is used to treat a variety of conditions, including high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. It has been shown to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol. Niacin is also effective in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
However, niacin is also known to cause a range of side effects, including flushing, itching, and gastrointestinal distress. These side effects can be minimized by taking an extended-release form of niacin, but they can still occur in some people.
Nicotinic acid and Niacin are synonyms, both terms indicating the same molecule (R).
Niacinamide has been shown to have several health benefits, including reducing inflammation, improving skin health, and treating acne. It is also effective in treating anxiety and depression, as it plays a key role in the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood.
Niacinamide:
Niacinamide, also called nicotinamide (WebMD), is another form of vitamin B3 that is used in supplements and skincare products. Unlike niacin, niacinamide does not cause flushing or other side effects, making it a more tolerable form of vitamin B3.
Niacinamide has been shown to have several health benefits, including reducing inflammation, improving skin health, and treating acne. It is also effective in treating anxiety and depression, as it plays a key role in the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood.
Nicotinamide and Niacinamide are the same thing
Is niacinamide the same as nicotinamide?Nicotinamide (NAM) and niacinamide are the exact same thing. For the purposes of this post, we’ll just be saying niacinamide.
Niacinamide is also a form of vitamin B3, but has a different molecular structure. This subtle difference allows nicotinamide to bypass the step that causes niacin's annoying flushing, providing the benefits of vitamin B3 without making you self-conscious.
Niacinamide is also a form of vitamin B3, but has a different molecular structure. This subtle difference allows nicotinamide to bypass the step that causes niacin's annoying flushing, providing the benefits of vitamin B3 without making you self-conscious.
Niacinamide is the vitamin B3 that you get from meat and poultry. In other words, it comes from animal based foods. Many grain products are also fortified with it.
Niacinamide helps keep your skin healthy and is a popular additive in skincare products. It’s often used to treat acne or rosacea.
Niacinamide helps keep your skin healthy and is a popular additive in skincare products. It’s often used to treat acne or rosacea.
Niacin vs Nicotinamide
The main difference between niacin (nicotinic acid) and nicotinamide (niacinamide) is that niacin helps to treat high cholesterol whereas nicotinamide does not help to treat high cholesterol. (R)
NAD
NAD is derived from Nicotinamide Riboside (NR). The levels of NAD in our body determine the speed of aging process. In younger cells and tissues, the levels of NAD are higher. As a result, younger people tend to have better physical activity, cognitive function and potential for cell repair and regeneration. As we grow, the levels of NAD in our body start to decline. This is reflected in the form of slowed cognitive response, loss of memory and reduced agility.
Research suggests it may be possible to reverse mitochondrial decay with dietary supplements that increase cellular levels of a molecule called NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide).
NAD is a linchpin of energy metabolism, among other roles, and its diminishing level with age has been implicated in mitochondrial deterioration. Supplements containing nicotinamide riboside, or NR, a precursor to NAD that's found in trace amounts in milk, might be able to boost NAD levels. In support of that idea, half a dozen Nobel laureates and other prominent scientists are working with two small companies offering NR supplements.
The NAD story took off toward the end of 2013 with a high-profile paper by Harvard's David Sinclair and colleagues. Sinclair, recall, achieved fame in the mid-2000s for research on yeast and mice that suggested the red wine ingredient resveratrol mimics anti-aging effects of calorie restriction. This time his lab made headlines by reporting that the mitochondria in muscles of elderly mice were restored to a youthful state after just a week of injections with NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide), a molecule that naturally occurs in cells and, like NR, boosts levels of NAD.
NAD boosters might work synergistically with supplements like resveratrol to help reinvigorate mitochondria and ward off diseases of aging. Elysium is banking on this potential synergy—its NR-containing supplement includes a resveratrol-like substance called pterostilbene (pronounced tero-STILL-bean), which is found in blueberries and grapes.
While resveratrol has hogged the anti-aging spotlight over the past decade, unsung researchers in places like Oxford, Miss., have quietly shown that pterostilbene is a kind of extra-potent version of resveratrol. The pterostilbene molecule is nearly identical to resveratrol's except for a couple of differences that make it more "bioavailable" (animal studies indicate that about four times as much ingested pterostilbene gets into the bloodstream as resveratrol). Test-tube and rodent studies also suggest that pterostilbene is more potent than resveratrol when it comes to improving brain function, warding off various kinds of cancer and preventing heart disease.
How excited should we be about all this? If I were a middle-aged mouse, I'd be ready to spend some of the nickels and dimes I'd dragged off the sidewalk to try NR supplements. Even before Sinclair's paper, researchers had shown in 2012 that when given doses of NR, mice on high-fat diets gained 60 percent less weight than they did on the same diets without NR. Further, none of the mice on NR showed signs of diabetes, and their energy levels improved. The scientists reportedly characterized NR's effects on metabolism as "nothing short of astonishing."
But the paucity of human data gives me pause. Nobel laureates notwithstanding, I plan to wait until more is known before jumping up from the supper table to run out for some NR. Besides, it probably won’t be long before more data come out given the growing buzz about NAD.
NAD is a linchpin of energy metabolism, among other roles, and its diminishing level with age has been implicated in mitochondrial deterioration. Supplements containing nicotinamide riboside, or NR, a precursor to NAD that's found in trace amounts in milk, might be able to boost NAD levels. In support of that idea, half a dozen Nobel laureates and other prominent scientists are working with two small companies offering NR supplements.
The NAD story took off toward the end of 2013 with a high-profile paper by Harvard's David Sinclair and colleagues. Sinclair, recall, achieved fame in the mid-2000s for research on yeast and mice that suggested the red wine ingredient resveratrol mimics anti-aging effects of calorie restriction. This time his lab made headlines by reporting that the mitochondria in muscles of elderly mice were restored to a youthful state after just a week of injections with NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide), a molecule that naturally occurs in cells and, like NR, boosts levels of NAD.
NAD boosters might work synergistically with supplements like resveratrol to help reinvigorate mitochondria and ward off diseases of aging. Elysium is banking on this potential synergy—its NR-containing supplement includes a resveratrol-like substance called pterostilbene (pronounced tero-STILL-bean), which is found in blueberries and grapes.
While resveratrol has hogged the anti-aging spotlight over the past decade, unsung researchers in places like Oxford, Miss., have quietly shown that pterostilbene is a kind of extra-potent version of resveratrol. The pterostilbene molecule is nearly identical to resveratrol's except for a couple of differences that make it more "bioavailable" (animal studies indicate that about four times as much ingested pterostilbene gets into the bloodstream as resveratrol). Test-tube and rodent studies also suggest that pterostilbene is more potent than resveratrol when it comes to improving brain function, warding off various kinds of cancer and preventing heart disease.
How excited should we be about all this? If I were a middle-aged mouse, I'd be ready to spend some of the nickels and dimes I'd dragged off the sidewalk to try NR supplements. Even before Sinclair's paper, researchers had shown in 2012 that when given doses of NR, mice on high-fat diets gained 60 percent less weight than they did on the same diets without NR. Further, none of the mice on NR showed signs of diabetes, and their energy levels improved. The scientists reportedly characterized NR's effects on metabolism as "nothing short of astonishing."
But the paucity of human data gives me pause. Nobel laureates notwithstanding, I plan to wait until more is known before jumping up from the supper table to run out for some NR. Besides, it probably won’t be long before more data come out given the growing buzz about NAD.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, niacin and niacinamide (nicotinamide) are different forms of vitamin B3 that offer unique benefits and drawbacks. Niacin is effective in treating high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, but it can cause flushing and other side effects. Niacinamide is a more tolerable form of vitamin B3 that offers benefits for skin health and mood regulation.When considering which form of vitamin B3 to take, it is important to consider your individual needs and any potential side effects. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen.
To find out more information and the supporting scientific evidence for anti-aging supplements, check out "Best Anti Aging Supplements".
Codeage Liposomal NMN + Resveratrol + Quercetin + TMG Supplement
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- Liposomal delivery matrix: NAD precursor blend offering NMN nicotinamide mononucleotide + resveratrol, betaine, riboflavin, vitamin B12, and quercetin all-in-one through a liposomal phospholipid complex.
- NMN Stabilized Form + Resveratrol: Codeage NMN nicotinamide mononucleotide performance supplement comes in powder-filled capsules for both women and men. This nicotinamide mononucleotide stable blend has been paired with trans-resveratrol, a polyphenol extracted from the root of Japanese knotweed, also know as Polygonum cuspidatum.
- iHerb Best Seller Product Rank: #2 in Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) category;
#2 in NAD+ category. - Over 800 customer reviews, most of them 5-stars on iHerb.com.
- Related evidence: Published in Pharmacology Research and Perspectives (2022), Jiang and colleagues from Macau University of Science and Technology in China demonstrated that combining NMN with resveratrol increases NAD+ levels in heart and skeletal muscle of mice significantly more than NMN alone.
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