Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Of 12,265 on-market niacin (vitamin b3) products in the January 2026 DSLD dump, the median declared dose is 20 mg NE, and 100.0% list Niacin (Nicotinic Acid) as the primary form.
Form share
Of 10,716 products with an identifiable primary form, here is the share held by each form of Niacin (Vitamin B3) on the market today.
| Form | Quality tier | n | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niacin (Nicotinic Acid) | Tier 1 | 10,716 | 100.0% |
Form share over time
Entry-year breakdown of the top forms, 2012–2025.
Dose distribution
Deciles of declared dose per serving (mg NE), among 10,476 products with a disclosed amount, against the RDA of 16 and UL of 35.
- 96.6% of products fall below the fairy-dust threshold (300 mg, 20% of the studied low dose).
- 0.8% of products don't disclose an amount because Niacin (Vitamin B3) is declared inside a proprietary blend.
By dosage form
By target group
Top brands
| Brand | Products |
|---|---|
| DC | 181 |
| Cellucor | 151 |
| Douglas Laboratories | 146 |
| Centrum | 142 |
| Nature's Way | 141 |
| Wonder Laboratories | 138 |
| Nature Made | 119 |
| Source Naturals | 119 |
| Emergen-C | 109 |
| MegaFood | 104 |
| Metagenics | 103 |
| Higher Nature | 101 |
| Life Extension | 97 |
| NOW | 97 |
| The Vitamin Shoppe | 96 |
| Pure Encapsulations | 96 |
| New Chapter | 93 |
| Bluebonnet | 89 |
| GNC Mega Men | 87 |
| Vitamin World | 84 |
| Country Life | 81 |
| Carlson | 81 |
| XYMOGEN | 81 |
| Puritan's Pride | 78 |
| Solgar | 77 |
Forms explained
Fully converted to NAD/NADP for core vitamin function; additionally has documented pharmacologic lipid effects (LDL/TG lowering, HDL raising) at gram doses via the HCAR2/GPR109A receptor pathway, not shared by niacinamide.
Source: Knopp RH et al. 1998, Metabolism 47(9):1097-1104, PMID 9751239
Equally effective as niacin for correcting deficiency/NAD+ synthesis and does not cause the flushing reaction seen with nicotinic acid -- but does NOT share niacin's lipid-modifying pharmacology, so the two are not interchangeable for lipid-management use.
Source: WHO Model Formulary 2008, pp. 496, 500; Knopp RH et al. 1998, PMID 9751239 (lipid data specific to nicotinic acid)
Reference values
- RDA (adult): 16 mg NE — 16mg NE (men); 14mg NE (women), ages 19+
- Tolerable Upper Intake Level (adult): 35 mg NE — Applies to niacin from fortified foods and supplements only (not naturally occurring food niacin), based on flushing as the critical adverse effect. The 1998 DRI report applies this UL to both nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, though nicotinamide is documented to be much better tolerated at high doses in practice.
- Studied clinical dose range: 1500–3000 mg
- Knopp RH et al. 1998, Metabolism 47(9):1097-1104, PMID 9751239 -- RCT, niacin/Niaspan 1.5-3.0g/day produced dose-dependent LDL reduction, HDL increase (~17-23%), and triglyceride reduction; time-release Niaspan caused substantially fewer flushing events than plain niacin (576 vs 1905 events, P<.001).
- Note: Niacin (nicotinic acid) and niacinamide (nicotinamide) are equally effective for correcting deficiency/NAD+ synthesis, but niacinamide does NOT share niacin's lipid-modifying pharmacology (LDL/TG lowering via the HCAR2/GPR109A pathway) -- the two forms are not interchangeable for lipid-management contexts. See forms.yaml.