Niacin, NAD and how diet may affect aging and disease
What it found
Niacin in the diet helps make NAD and NADP, which cells need for metabolism and for controlling genes.
The paper says this points to niacin as a possible treatment for cancer, aging, metabolic and heart conditions.
What they found
Niacin makes NAD
Nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, together called niacin, are nutritional precursors of NAD and NADP. These molecules are important cofactors for most cellular redox reactions.
NAD in cell reactions
NAD and NADP are essential to maintain cellular metabolism and respiration. NAD also acts as a cosubstrate for many ADP-ribosylation enzymes with varied functions.
Enzymes that use NAD
Among the NAD-consuming enzymes identified so far are important genetic and epigenetic regulators, such as poly(ADP-ribose)polymerases and sirtuins.
Diet, NAD and genes
There is rapidly growing knowledge of a close connection between dietary niacin intake, NAD(P) availability, and the activity of NAD(P)-dependent epigenetic regulator enzymes.
Possible role in the body
This points to dietary niacin intake having a central role in body processes, such as maintaining genetic stability and epigenetic control mechanisms that affect metabolism and aging.
Niacin and disease
Insight into niacin and various NAD-related diseases, from cancer, aging and metabolic diseases to cardiovascular problems, has shifted the view of niacin from a vitamin to a potential therapeutic.
What the authors conclude
“Insight into the role of niacin and various NAD-related diseases ranging from cancer, aging, and metabolic diseases to cardiovascular problems has shifted our view of niacin as a vitamin to current views that explore its potential as a therapeutic.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the growing knowledge points to an exciting role for dietary niacin intake as a central regulator of physiological processes.
- They describe a shift from viewing niacin as a vitamin to current views that explore its potential as a therapeutic.
How it was done
The authors wanted to bring together the growing evidence linking how much niacin people eat, the amount of NAD and NADP available in cells, and the activity of enzymes that control genes.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This paper does not report a trial or a study in people, animals or cells, so it cannot show that niacin causes any health outcome.
- It describes links between niacin, NAD and enzymes, but it does not measure whether taking niacin changes the risk of cancer, aging, metabolic or heart conditions.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Guelph, Canada; Utah State University, United States
The paper
- Title
- Niacin
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Kirkland JB, Meyer-Ficca ML (2018). Niacin. Advances in food and nutrition research. doi:10.1016/bs.afnr.2017.11.003PubMed 29477227DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error