The Dangers of Niacin Deficiency and Best Ways to Prevent a Lack of Niacin in Your Diet

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Balanced Diet

One of the most overlooked causes of depression must be a lack of niacin in your diet. A niacin deficiency can lead to all sorts of adverse health conditions. First of all, you will have less energy, because vitamins of the B complex give you energy to do things. Moreover, if you’re deficient in niacin over a prolonged period of time, you can even get the disease pellagra. In order to avoid this, it is recommended to niacin flush regularly.

Signifiers of a Niacin Deficiency

There are multiple signifiers that indicate that you may be deficient in niacin. First of all, lesion can appear on your body. This mostly occurs symmetrically. Skin that is exposed to sunlight has a higher chance of developing lesion.

When you are deficient in niacin, there may also be some blood in your stool. Other common side effects are:

• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Distention

Finally, the mucous membrane of the mouth may be severely irritated. Moreover, your tongue may become fire red. This is usually accompanied with increased salivation.

What to Do

Often, people that are binge drinking a lot, while having a lack of niacin in their diet develop the side effects associated with niacin deficiency. This occurs because niacin destroys the little niacin you have in your body. Therefore, it might be crucial to stop drinking for a while. Moreover, it is a good idea to consume lots of niacin dense foods like:

1.       Lentils | 4.2 mg vitamin b3 per cup.
2.       Shiitake mushrooms | 6.2 mg niacin per cup.
3.       Organic turkey | 3.4 mg vitamin b3 per 3 ounces serving.
4.       Organic chicken| 12.3 mg niacin per 3 ounces serving.
5.       Wild salmon | 14.2 mg vitamin b3 per 3 ounces serving.

It is highly recommended to eat these foods instead of taking in niacin supplements, since these foods also contain other highly important nutrients that are good for overall health. In order to become niacin sufficient, you will have to consume about 20 mg per day. This is more than enough to avoid side effects of deficiency like a niacin depression.