The Essential Guide

Niacin: The Energizer Powering Your Cells and Fighting Cancer

Niacin: The Energizer Powering Your Cells and Fighting Cancer
Niacin keeps your battery charged by converting food into energy the body can use. Illustration by Fei Meng
Updated:
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Medically reviewed by
Jimmy Almond, M.D.

Whether it is turning food into fuel, building cells, repairing DNA, detoxifying, recycling nutrients, or defending against oxidative stress, niacin provides the energy to keep it all running smoothly. Without it, your cells would be like a phone stuck with a 1 percent battery: desperately low on power and struggling to keep up!

But niacin does more than energize your body. It also plays a vital role in specific functions, like supporting skin health—a finding that dates back to the discovery of this remarkable vitamin.

Sina McCullough holds a doctorate in nutrition and a bachelor's in science in neurobiology, physiology, and behavior from UC Davis. She was director of research and development for a supplement company and taught biochemistry and bioenergetics at UC Davis.
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