Niacin intake and skin cancer risk in US adults
What it found
People who took in the most niacin had a slightly lower chance of one type of skin cancer over 24 to 26 years.
They had a slightly higher chance of another type.
What they found
Studies in people
Squamous cell carcinoma risk
People taking in the most total niacin had a modestly lower chance of squamous cell carcinoma compared to those taking in the least. This was seen when combining results from both men and women.
Basal cell carcinoma risk
Higher total niacin intake was weakly linked to a slightly higher chance of basal cell carcinoma. Niacin from supplements alone showed a similar small link.
Melanoma risk
Overall, niacin intake was not clearly linked to melanoma. In men only, higher intake was weakly tied to a slightly higher chance of this cancer.
Other findings
How niacin was measured
Total niacin came from foods like red meat, poultry, fish, coffee and breakfast cereal, plus multivitamins and B vitamin supplements. The lowest fifth of women averaged 17.9 mg per day and the highest fifth averaged 84.1 mg per day. For men, it was 21.5 mg versus 115.7 mg per day.
What the authors conclude
- They found that taking in more niacin might play a helpful role against squamous cell carcinoma, but not against other skin cancers.
- They say more work is needed to confirm these findings and figure out how niacin works in the body.
- The authors note that the amounts people took in were much lower than the doses used in clinical trials.
How it was done
Severe lack of niacin makes skin more sensitive to sun damage, and a recent trial found that a form of niacin lowered new skin cancers. But no large study had looked at whether everyday niacin from food or supplements is linked to skin cancer risk.
They followed 72,308 women and 41,808 men for 24 to 26 years. Every two to four years, participants filled out questionnaires about their diet, supplements and health. The researchers tracked who developed three types of skin cancer.
What it can’t tell you
- This study followed people over time, so it can show links but cannot prove that niacin caused the changes in cancer risk.
- The participants were white health professionals, so the results might not apply to everyone.
- Skin cancer cases of one type were confirmed by medical records, while another relied on self reports, which could affect accuracy.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NCI NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, MA; Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea; Brown University, RI
The paper
- Title
- Niacin intake and risk of skin cancer in US women and men
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Park SM, Li T, Wu S, et al (2017). Niacin intake and risk of skin cancer in US women and men. International journal of cancer. doi:10.1002/ijc.30630Free full textPubMed 28152570DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error