Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)

What is Niacin?

Vitamin B3 is a water-soluble vitamin that has two primary forms: niacin (nicotinic acid) and niacinamide (nicotinamide). Both forms are converted in the body to NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) and NADP, coenzymes that are essential for over 400 enzymatic reactions, many of which are involved in energy production, DNA repair, and antioxidant defenses (1, 10).

While niacin can cause a harmless (but uncomfortable) skin flushing response, niacinamide doesn’t, making it the preferred form for supplementation, especially at higher doses (5).

Why Do Outdoor Adventurers Need Niacin?

You burn through energy like wildfire on a multi-day hike, and vitamin B3 is absolutely central to that process. Niacin supports the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into usable energy and plays a key role in cellular respiration (1). Put simply: without it, your mitochondria aren’t firing at full power.

Vitamin B3 is also an unsung hero for skin health. It helps maintain the integrity of your skin barrier, supports repair of UV-induced damage, and assists in protecting against oxidative stress - handy when you’re spending long hours exposed to sun, wind, and dry alpine air (7).

There’s even emerging evidence that niacinamide supplementation might improve recovery from intense physical exertion by aiding tissue repair, preventing muscle loss, and lowering inflammation (11).

If you’re eating fewer fresh foods and more packaged meals on extended multi-day hikes, your intake is likely to drop off. And because B3 is water-soluble, you don’t store much and will need a daily top-up.

Dietary Sources of Niacin?

Niacin is found in animal products like chicken, beef, pork, and fish, as well as in whole grains, peanuts, and fortified cereals (2).

However, it’s worth noting that niacin in plant-based foods like whole grains and legumes is far less bioavailable (only around 30%!) often tightly bound to other compounds that make absorption more difficult (3, 9). That’s not ideal if your trail diet leans more plant-based. Note that some cereals are fortified with B3 so those make a good alternative! 

What’s the Best Form of Vitamin B3 for Hikers?

Niacinamide is the form we’ve chosen for Optiventure and for good reason. It’s gentle on the stomach, flush-free, and gets to work right away in the body. While nicotinic acid has some lipid-lowering effects at high doses, it often causes an uncomfortable flushing sensation and is more likely to result in liver toxicity when overused (8).

Deficiency Stats

Severe deficiency in niacin causes pellagra, a condition marked by the 3 Ds: dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia. While pellagra is now rare in developed countries, mild deficiency and suboptimal intake still occur, especially in people with limited access to varied foods or high-energy demands (3).

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, fewer than 5% of the Australian population fall short of recommended niacin intake (4). This means the average, non-athletic person is most likely to have adequate intake. But for those on extended restricted diets, or pushing their bodies physically, attention needs to be paid to ensure the baseline is maintained. 

Why Optiventure Has 25mg of Vitamin B3 – Niacinamide

The RDI for Vitamin B3 is just 14–16mg, but that’s the bare minimum to avoid deficiency, not necessarily the optimal amount for active individuals. Most people average two-three times this in their daily life so exceeding the RDI for B3 is more than common (2,3).

25mg of niacinamide goes beyond the RDI, providing 178% (men) and 192% (women) of your daily requirement—without exceeding tolerable intake levels or risking side effects. This amount is well within the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) for niacinamide, which is estimated at 900–1000mg/day (5).

Importantly, niacinamide supports recovery, energy production, and skin resilience without the flushing or liver risks associated with high-dose niacin (8).

By choosing 25mg, Optiventure gives you a robust daily dose that covers active lifestyle needs, supports energy metabolism, and bridges any dietary gaps, especially when you’re living on freeze-dried meals and trail mix.

References

1. National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, & New Zealand Ministry of Health. (2006). Nutrient reference values for Australia and New Zealand: Niacin. Eat For Health.https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrient-reference-values/nutrients/niacin
2. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. (n.d.). Niacin - Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Niacin-HealthProfessional/
3. Institute of Medicine (US) Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes and its Panel on Folate, Other B Vitamins, and Choline. (1998). Dietary reference intakes for thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline: Niacin (Chapter 6). National Academies Press (US).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK114304/
4. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011, December). Australian Health Survey: Usual nutrient intakes. ABS.https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/usual-nutrient-intakes/latest-release
5. Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM). (2017). Assessment of dietary intake of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide in relation to tolerable upper intake levels (VKM Report 2017:27).https://vkm.no/download/18.4fdace2015eceedf2143ec14/1507123651860/Assessment%20of%20intake%20of%20nicotinic%20acid%20and%20nicotinamide%20in%20relation%20to%20tolerable%20upper%20intake%20levels.pdf
6. Trammell, S. A. J., & Brenner, C. (2013). Targeting nicotinamide riboside and NAD⁺ metabolism for metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Pharmacological Research, 85, 57–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2013.04.001
7. Bissett, D. L., Oblong, J. E., & Berge, C. A. (2005). Topical niacinamide reduces yellowing, wrinkling, red blotchiness, and hyperpigmented spots in aging facial skin. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 27(3), 155–161. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2494.2005.00265.x
8. Nawaz, N., Mistretta, T., Karime, C., Lewis, J., & Wolf, E. (2024). Cholestatic drug-induced liver injury in a patient taking high-dose niacin for hyperlipidemia. Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports, 12, Article 23247096231224349. https://doi.org/10.1177/23247096231224349
9. Neufingerl, N., & Eilander, A. (2021). Nutrient intake and status in adults consuming plant-based diets compared to meat-eaters: A systematic review. Nutrients, 14(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010029
10. Wilkinson, D. J., Bloor, I. D., Jackson, A. P., Kojic, L., Lapsley, M., Keogh, S., Williams, J. P., Philp, A., & Smith, K. (2020). The role of NAD⁺ metabolism in skeletal muscle health and disease. Cell Reports, 32(3), 107983. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107983
11. Nicola, C. A., Marinescu, M. C., Firan, A. M., Naidin, M. S., Ciuluvica, R. C., Rosu, M. M., Meca, A.-D., Bogdan, M., & Turcu-Stiolica, A. (2024). Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Association Between Daily Niacin Intake and Glaucoma. Nutrients, 16(21), 3604. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16213604.