About Vitamin B3:
- Vitamin B3, or Niacin, is a water-soluble vitamin.
- Niacin is naturally present in many foods, added to some food products, and available as a dietary supplement.
- There are two main chemical forms of niacin:
- nicotinic acid
- niacinamide (sometimes called nicotinamide)
- Your body gets niacin through food, but it also makes small amounts from the amino acid tryptophan, which can be found in protein sources like turkey and other animal foods.
- Function:
- Niacin works in the body as a coenzyme, with enzymes dependent on it for various reactions.
- Niacin helps to convert nutrients into energy, create cholesterol and fats, create and repair DNA, and exert antioxidant effects.
- Food Sources: A niacin deficiency is rare because it is found in many foods, both from animals and plants.
- Red meat: beef, beef liver, pork
- Poultry
- Fish
- Brown rice
- Fortified cereals and breads
- Nuts, seeds
- Legumes
- Bananas
- Deficiency:
- A severe niacin deficiency leads to pellagra, a condition that causes a dark, sometimes scaly rash to develop on skin areas exposed to sunlight; bright redness of the tongue; and constipation/diarrhea.
- Other signs of severe niacin deficiency include:
- Depression
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Memory loss
- Hallucinations
What is NAD(P)HX dehydratase (NAXD)?
- It is an essential cellular enzyme that helps repair damaged forms of key metabolic molecules, ensuring normal energy production and cell survival.
- NAXD deficiency is a rare neurometabolic disease with infantile onset marked by repeated episodes of developmental regression and progressive neurodegeneration, often triggered by febrile illnesses.
- Clinical features include lethargy, hypotonia, irritability, gait ataxia, loss of speech, movement disorders, seizures, ophthalmoplegia, and hearing loss.
