Niacin intake and fatty liver disease in US adults
What it found
In a large US survey, adults who reported eating more niacin were less likely to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
This was a study of people, not a trial.
What they found
Studies in people
Higher intake, lower odds
Compared with the lowest quarter of niacin intake, the second, third and fourth quarters had lower odds of having fatty liver. The authors report a trend across these groups.
Intake above 22 mg
People who ate more than 22.2 mg of niacin a day had a notably lower chance of fatty liver than those eating less than 16.4 mg a day.
Below recommended intake
Women who ate less than the recommended 14 mg of niacin a day had higher odds of fatty liver than women eating between 14 and 35 mg a day. This was not seen in men.
Above the upper limit
For both men and women, eating more than 35 mg of niacin a day was not linked to either a higher or lower chance of fatty liver compared with eating between the recommended amount and 35 mg.
Blood pressure link
The link between niacin intake and fatty liver differed between people with and without high blood pressure. In those without high blood pressure, the highest intake group had lower odds of fatty liver.
Animal and lab studies
Animal and lab studies
The paper mentions rat and mouse studies where niacin reduced liver fat, but one mouse study found it promoted fatty liver. Lab studies suggest niacin may affect liver fat through several pathways.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, our study indicates that higher dietary niacin intake is associated with a lower chance of developing NAFLD.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that higher dietary niacin intake is associated with a lower chance of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
- They say the dose-response relationship needs further study in prospective studies to find optimal intake levels.
How it was done
The authors wanted to know whether the amount of niacin people eat is linked to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, since previous evidence in the general population was limited.
They studied 12,355 US adults aged 20 and over who took part in NHANES between 2003 and 2018. Niacin intake came from two 24-hour diet recalls, and fatty liver was estimated using the United States fatty liver index.
What it can’t tell you
- This was an observational study, so it can show a link but cannot prove that niacin causes the lower chance of fatty liver.
- The diet data relied on people remembering what they ate, which can be inaccurate.
- The authors could not rule out other factors that might explain the link.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by The National Natural Science Foundation of China (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Sun Yat-sen University, China; Southeast University, China
The paper
- Title
- Association between Dietary Niacin Intake and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: NHANES 2003-2018
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Pan J, Hu Y, Pang N, Yang L (2023). Association between Dietary Niacin Intake and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: NHANES 2003-2018. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu15194128Free full textPubMed 37836412DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error