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The following doses have been studied in scientific research:
ADULTS
BY MOUTH:
- General: Some dietary supplement products list niacin on the label in niacin equivalents (NE). 1 mg of niacin is the same as 1 mg NE. When niacin is listed on a label as NE, it might include other forms of niacin as well, including niacinamide, inositol nicotinate, and tryptophan. The daily recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for niacin in adults are 16 mg NE for men, 14 mg NE for women, 18 mg NE for pregnant women, and 17 mg NE for lactating women.
- For high cholesterol:The effects of niacin are dose-dependent. Doses of niacin as low as 50 mg and as high as 12 grams each day have been used. However, the biggest increases in HDL and decreases in triglycerides occur at 1200 to 1500 mg/day. Niacin's greatest effects on LDL occur at 2000 to 3000 mg/day. Niacin is often used with other medications for improving cholesterol levels.
- For preventing and treating vitamin B3 deficiency and related conditions such as pellagra: 300-1000 mg daily in divided doses.
- For treating hardening of the arteries: Doses of niacin have been as high as 12 grams daily. However, a dose of about 1 to 4 grams of niacin daily, alone or along with statins or bile acid sequestrants (a cholesterol-lowering medicine), has been used for up to 6.2 years.
- For reducing fluid loss caused by cholera toxin: 2 grams daily has been used.
- For abnormal blood fat levels due to treatment for HIV/AIDS: Up to 2 grams daily has been used.
- For metabolic syndrome: 2 grams of niacin has been taken daily for 16 weeks. In some cases, niacin 2 grams daily, alone or at this dosage, is taken along with 4 grams of prescription omega-3 ethyl esters (Lovaza, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals).
BY IV:
- For preventing and treating vitamin B3 deficiency and related conditions such as pellagra: 60 mg of niacin has been used.
AS A SHOT:
- For preventing and treating vitamin B3 deficiency and related conditions such as pellagra: 60 mg of niacin has been used.
CHILDREN
BY MOUTH:
- General: The daily recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for niacin in children are 2 mg NE for infants 0-6 months of age, 4 mg NE for infants 7-12 months of age, 6 mg NE for children 1-3 years of age, 8 mg NE for children 4-8 years of age, 12 mg NE for children 9-13 years of age, 16 mg NE for boys 14-18 years of age, and 14 mg NE for girls 14-18 years of age.
- For preventing and treating vitamin B3 deficiency and related conditions such as pellagra: 100-300 mg per day of niacin, given in divided doses. *