Ingredients
Niacin
Occurence
also called nicotine acid;
Sometimes nicotine-acid-amid is also called niacin.
Both substances correlate with each other and have the same ranking as vitamins, that is vital agents.
Niacin is found above all in animal products like meat and animal entrails. In cereals, Niacin is mostly present in the outer layers of the grain, therefore it is lost in the process of grounding flour.
Niacin content
| Food Niacin | (mg/100 g) |
| Beef: | 7.5 |
| Liver (calf): | 15.0 |
| Pork: | 5.0 |
| Herring: | 4.3 |
| Trout: | 3.4 |
| Full fat milk: | 0.09 |
| Mothers milk: | 0.17 |
| Butter: | 0.03 |
| Camembert (40% fat): | 1.57 |
| Potatoes: | 1.2 |
| Carrots: | 0.58 |
| Tomatoes: | 0.53 |
| Peas: | 2 |
| Apples: | 0.3 |
| Pears: | 0.22 |
| Bananas: | 0.56 |
| Oat flakes: | 1.0 |
| Wheat flour: | 0.7 |
| Coffee beans (roast): | 13.7 |
(due to Souci - Fachmann - Kraut, 1989)
Functions
Niacin is active in many metabolic reactions, taking the function of a coenzyme.
A daily intake of 5 - 6 mg for children, 13 - 15 mg for women, 15 - 20 mg for men and 20 mg for breast feeding women is recommended.
The symptoms of a lack of niacin are untypical and above all concern the nervous system. First, a general weakness can be observed as well as loss of appetite, only later on the classical DDD-disease: dermatitis (skin disorder), diarrhea and finally dementia.
The therapeutical dosis depends on the seriousness of the metabolic disorder: 1 - 3 g daily
Toxicity: Intoxications have not been described so far.