- Pan J, Zhou Y, Pang N, Yang L. Dietary Niacin Intake and Mortality Among Individuals With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(2):e2354277. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.54277
Niacin, or vitamin B3, is an important building block in the synthesis of NAD. NAD, in turn, is increasingly being researched due to its effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases. In animal models, there are already studies that suggest that niacin supplementation leads to a moderate remission of fatty liver disease. Such a study or such proof has not yet been provided for humans. A recent analysis has now attempted to close this gap and investigate the effect of niacin on mortality - both general and cardiovascular - in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
No, study participants were not given niacin in tablet or other form. Instead, they were asked twice during the course of the study to recall what they had eaten the day before. The niacin intake was then calculated on the basis of this data. Ultimately, it remained unclear how much vitamin B3 a person had actually consumed. There is no guarantee that the memory and tracking of meals or the amount consumed was accurate.
The study authors describe that those who had a higher consumption of niacin had a reduced general mortality rate than those who consumed less vitamin B3 in their diet. This correlation could not be established for cardiovascular mortality.
An increased intake of vitamin B3 appears to be associated with reduced mortality in people with NAFLD. However, further studies are needed to confirm this data. It is also unclear how exactly the consumption of the vitamin was recorded in the present study. However, the data give hope: in the future, niacin could therefore play a key role in the treatment of NAFLD if further studies come to similar conclusions.