vitamin · a form of Vitamin B3
Niacin
Essential B vitamin that supports energy metabolism, DNA repair, and healthy skin. Exists as niacin, niacinamide, and nicotinamide riboside.
What it’s good for
Niacin for High Blood Pressure
Strong2 studies · 2 supporting · 0 against
10 safety notes
Widens blood vessels and shifts your cholesterol balance in a better direction.
Dose: 500–2000 mg
Tested as: Extended-release niacin (e.g. Niaspan) at lipid-lowering doses (1–2 g/day), studied in dyslipidaemic patients
Niacin for Afternoon Energy Crash
Not verified1 study · 0 supporting · 0 against
9 safety notes
Why it gets suggested: Raises NAD, which your cells use to release energy from food all day.
Dose: 100–500 mg
Why we could not verify it: No randomized controlled trials were found testing niacin (nicotinic acid specifically) for fatigue or energy outcomes as a primary endpoint in humans. PubMed searches with the RCT filter returned results about niacin for cardiovascular outcomes (lipids, endothelial function), with fatigue appearing only as a reported side effect rather than an outcome being treated. The only fatigue-directed NAD-precursor trials found use nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN, PMID 35215405) or nicotinamide riboside (NR), both of which are chemically distinct from nicotinic acid. 'Afternoon energy crash' has no recognized clinical equivalent term ('postprandial somnolence' is used for drowsiness but no trials co