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By Dr.Kristie Leong MD
Can too much niacin increase the risk of obesity in children? According to a new study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, too much niacin may not be a good thing when it comes to the risk of weight gain and obesity – at least in children.
What is Niacin?
Niacin is a B complex vitamin, also known as vitamin B3. It plays an important role in energy metabolism and helps to support the health of the skin, digestive system, and nervous system. Deficiency of niacin causes a disease called pellagra which usually manifests with skin changes, diarrhea, and dementia.
What is Niacin?
Niacin is a B complex vitamin, also known as vitamin B3. It plays an important role in energy metabolism and helps to support the health of the skin, digestive system, and nervous system. Deficiency of niacin causes a disease called pellagra which usually manifests with skin changes, diarrhea, and dementia.
At high doses, niacin has the beneficial effect of lowering cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of heart disease – although too much niacin causes an uncomfortable flushing sensation in most people. High doses of niacin are frequently used to treat high cholesterol in patients who can tolerate the flushing reaction. Foods high in niacin include meat and dairy, although niacin can also be found naturally in nuts, eggs, and some vegetables.
Too Much Niacin and Childhood Obesity: Is There an Association?
Using a glucose tolerance test to measure the effects of niacin on glucose metabolism and its effects on hydrogen peroxide, researchers found that niacin raised glucose levels at one hour and lowered them at three hours compared to a control. This suggests that niacin could stimulate appetite and encourage overeating by a mechanism that involves oxidative stress.
There’s more evidence that too much niacin could contribute to a greater risk of obesity. Niacin has been added to bread since 1938 to prevent pellagra and, in more recent years, it’s been added to other foods. Since the fortification of foods with niacin has become more commonplace, the incidence of obesity among children has gone up too – and this rise in obesity in children is correlated with the addition of niacin to foods.
Does Too Much Niacin Lead to a Higher Risk of Obesity in Children?
The association between too much niacin and obesity in children is far from proven. At least in adults, taking niacin to lower cholesterol levels isn’t associated with a higher risk of obesity – although it could have different effects on obesity in children. More research is needed, but if this association is confirmed, it could raise questions about the wisdom of fortifying foods with niacin.
References:
Medical News Today website. "Obesity And Niacin Intake"
World J Gastroenterol. 2010 May 21;16(19):2378-87.
Too Much Niacin and Childhood Obesity: Is There an Association?
Using a glucose tolerance test to measure the effects of niacin on glucose metabolism and its effects on hydrogen peroxide, researchers found that niacin raised glucose levels at one hour and lowered them at three hours compared to a control. This suggests that niacin could stimulate appetite and encourage overeating by a mechanism that involves oxidative stress.
There’s more evidence that too much niacin could contribute to a greater risk of obesity. Niacin has been added to bread since 1938 to prevent pellagra and, in more recent years, it’s been added to other foods. Since the fortification of foods with niacin has become more commonplace, the incidence of obesity among children has gone up too – and this rise in obesity in children is correlated with the addition of niacin to foods.
Does Too Much Niacin Lead to a Higher Risk of Obesity in Children?
The association between too much niacin and obesity in children is far from proven. At least in adults, taking niacin to lower cholesterol levels isn’t associated with a higher risk of obesity – although it could have different effects on obesity in children. More research is needed, but if this association is confirmed, it could raise questions about the wisdom of fortifying foods with niacin.
References:
Medical News Today website. "Obesity And Niacin Intake"
World J Gastroenterol. 2010 May 21;16(19):2378-87.
