Chapter 1. What Is Niacin?
Niacin is a form of vitamin B3, also known as nicotinic acid. It plays a key role in energy metabolism, nervous system function, and detoxification. From niacin, the body produces the coenzymes NAD and NADP — molecules involved in more than 400 enzymatic reactions.
A deficiency of niacin leads to fatigue, irritability, skin problems, digestive issues, and mental disturbances.
In therapeutic doses, niacin affects lipid metabolism — lowering triglycerides and “bad” cholesterol (LDL), raising “good” cholesterol (HDL), improving microcirculation, and promoting cellular detoxification.
Chapter 2. How Niacin Therapy Began
The therapeutic use of niacin began in the 1950s, when Dr. Abram Hoffer observed improvements in patients with schizophrenia taking high doses of vitamin B3. This approach became the foundation of orthomolecular psychiatry — a field in which biochemical imbalances are corrected with vitamins and minerals instead of drugs.
Hoffer also demonstrated niacin’s effectiveness in treating hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases long before statins appeared, showing that the vitamin could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Chapter 3. How Niacin Works, and Why We Need More of It
The body can synthesize niacin from the amino acid tryptophan, but the process is extremely inefficient — about 60 mg of tryptophan produces only 1 mg of niacin. Therefore, for optimal cellular function, especially under stress, inflammation, toxicity, or mental strain, additional vitamin intake is necessary.
Niacin improves glucose metabolism, boosts mitochondrial energy production, supports DNA repair, and regulates serotonin. The authors emphasize that modern humans have much higher needs than the minimal daily allowance, and only therapeutic doses ensure full cellular function and protection against aging and chronic diseases.
Chapter 4. How to Take Niacin
The author explains in detail how to take niacin properly. The best option is the immediate-release (IR) form rather than “slow” or “extended-release” forms, which are more likely to cause liver problems.
Niacin is taken 2–3 times a day after meals, starting from low doses (50–100 mg) and gradually increasing to therapeutic levels (1–3 g or more, depending on the condition).
A short-term skin flush — known as the “niacin flush” — is a harmless reaction that indicates vasodilation and metabolic activation. Over time, the body adapts and the flush subsides.
Chapter 5. Safety of Niacin
Niacin is considered one of the safest vitamins, even in high doses. The main side effects are temporary flushing and mild skin itching. Toxic reactions are rare and usually linked to prolonged-release forms.
Liver tests can be done periodically, but serious liver damage from immediate-release niacin is extremely uncommon.
The authors stress that niacin’s safety profile is far superior to that of most pharmaceuticals prescribed for similar conditions, especially cardiovascular and mental disorders.
Chapter 6. Pandeficiency Disease
The authors introduce the term “pandeficiency disease” — a condition in which the body lacks not just one but many micronutrients simultaneously.
Modern diets are poor in B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and antioxidants, meaning that many chronic illnesses are actually manifestations of multiple hidden deficiencies. Niacin plays a central role because it participates in hundreds of enzymatic reactions. Without it, the metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates is impaired, energy levels drop, and mood and brain function deteriorate.
Restoring niacin and other cofactors can activate natural healing without drugs.
Chapter 7. Reversing Arthritis with Niacinamide: The Pioneering Work of William Kaufman, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. William Kaufman was among the first to prove that niacinamide (the non-flushing form of vitamin B3) could restore joints and reduce pain in arthritis. He observed hundreds of patients and found that regular intake of 250–500 mg of niacinamide several times per day improved joint mobility, reduced inflammation, and relieved stiffness.
Kaufman emphasized the importance of frequent dosing every 2–3 hours to maintain steady blood levels and maximize the effect.
His studies showed that arthritis is not an irreversible degenerative disease but rather a biochemical disorder that can be corrected with vitamin B3.
Chapter 8. Children’s Learning and Behavioral Disorders
In children, niacin deficiency often manifests not through physical symptoms but through behavioral and cognitive disturbances such as hyperactivity, poor concentration, irritability, moodiness, and anxiety. The author notes that niacin improves brain metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, and adrenal function, helping stabilize mood and focus.
In some cases, niacin has shown benefits for attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, and childhood depression. Combined with other B vitamins and balanced nutrition, it can significantly improve learning and behavior without the side effects of medication.
Chapter 9. Mental Illness
Abram Hoffer devoted decades to studying niacin’s effects on mental disorders — especially schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. He discovered that high doses of niacin (3–9 g per day), combined with vitamin C and other cofactors, could reduce hallucinations, improve cognition, and stabilize emotions. Niacin acts as an antioxidant, improves adrenaline and dopamine metabolism, and reduces stress metabolites.
Hoffer believed that many psychiatric patients have impaired niacin metabolism or increased demand for it, and that restoring this vitamin can reestablish brain chemistry balance without toxic antipsychotics.
Chapter 10. Cardiovascular Disease
Niacin is one of the most effective natural agents for cardiovascular support. It raises “good” cholesterol (HDL), lowers triglycerides and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), cleanses arteries, and improves microcirculation. Unlike statins, niacin does not suppress cholesterol production but normalizes its metabolism and reduces vascular inflammation. Doses of 1–3 g per day have been proven to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and overall mortality, acting as a natural cardioprotective agent.
Chapter 11. Other Clinical Conditions That Respond to Niacin
The authors describe a wide range of conditions in which niacin demonstrates therapeutic benefits. It slows aging by maintaining NAD levels and supporting DNA repair; reduces inflammation and allergy; improves neurotransmitter balance in anxiety, depression, and addiction; and protects neurons in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, migraine, and multiple sclerosis. Niacin enhances energy metabolism in fatigue, supports detoxification and skin regeneration, and helps with autoimmune and vascular disorders (including Raynaud’s disease).
Because of its central role in cellular energy and metabolism, vitamin B3 exerts broad systemic effects — from supporting the nervous system to preventing chronic and inflammatory diseases.
