Vitamin B3 niacin
Intake model: one reported food record, food date unconfirmed. References: man aged 19–30. How to read the references.
No change indicated. Counted food niacin supports coverage; added-niacin UL is inapplicable to ordinary chicken/fish niacin.
Linked eating record; usual intake and clinical status unestablished · Reviewed 2026-10-11
Intake confidence: Moderate. Quantity confidence: Limited. Body status: Unassessed.
FDA values describe food labels.
Vitamin B3 niacin
42.4 mg niacin counted from food.
| Recommended intake | Upper reference | Food label reference |
|---|---|---|
| 16 mg NE (RDA) US National Academies · Food and oral supplements | 35 mg (UL) US National Academies · Added niacin in supplements and fortified foods only | 16 mg NE (DV) FDA · Adults and children 4+ Label basis: NE includes tryptophan. Model: niacin mass counted; NE subtotal incomplete. Label rule |
Other authority and form-specific references
- 10 mg free nicotinic acid/day (UL)
EFSA / SCF · Free nicotinic acid, primarily supplemental/added formsSeparate from natural food-bound niacin, nicotinamide and NE adequacy. This is not a limit on all catalog niacin.
- 900 mg nicotinamide/day (UL)
EFSA / SCF · Nicotinamide form, adult referenceDo not turn a different-form assessment into a personal high-dose allowance. US added-niacin UL is 35 mg/day.
The catalog measures mg niacin, while the RDA uses niacin equivalents (NE), including conversion of tryptophan. Do not compare all natural food niacin with the added-niacin UL.
Food contributions and uncertainty
Values are available for 13 of 13 recorded foods. 1 contribution(s) use an incomplete recipe or comparator. Product identity and portion assumptions still limit accuracy.
The saved portion/recipe scenarios span 38.1–51.2 mg niacin. This is a sensitivity range, not a confidence interval; uncertain food composition and unreported foods can fall outside it.
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| Food | Model portion | Contribution | Source basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| RT RT roast chicken meat and skin | 299 g estimated | 25.4 mg niacin | Generic USDA comparator |
| Crown Prince Natural Skinless boneless sardines in olive oil | 80 g assumed | 4.2 mg niacin | Generic USDA comparator |
| Banana | 472 g reported | 3.1 mg niacin | Generic USDA comparator |
| Hass avocado | 150 g assumed | 2.6 mg niacin | Generic USDA comparator |
| Red bell pepper | 150 g assumed | 1.5 mg niacin | Generic USDA comparator |
| Trader Joe's Organic basmati rice frozen | 283 g reported | 1.1 mg niacin | Generic USDA comparator |
| Trader Joe's European style organic plain nonfat yogurt | 907 g reported | 1.1 mg niacin | Generic USDA comparator |
| Large beefsteak tomato | 182 g assumed | 1.1 mg niacin | Generic USDA comparator |
| Raspberries | 170 g assumed | 1 mg niacin | Generic USDA comparator |
| Navel orange | 140 g assumed | 0.6 mg niacin | Generic USDA comparator |
| Trader Joe's Organic raw almonds | 15 g estimated | 0.54 mg niacin | Generic USDA comparator |
| Raw English walnuts | 15 g assumed | 0.17 mg niacin | Generic USDA comparator |
Provisional or modeled zeros:
- RT RT chimichurri: Partial recipe estimate.
These are model inputs or current label declarations. They do not prove exact absence in the original package.
Role, forms and intake references
Niacin is used to make NAD and NADP, cofactors involved in metabolism. The adult male RDA is 16 mg niacin equivalents (NE) daily. One milligram NE is supplied by 1 mg niacin or by conversion from approximately 60 mg dietary tryptophan. The food catalog currently stores mg niacin, not an estimate of all niacin equivalents. NIH niacin.
The adult 35 mg UL applies to added niacin from supplements and fortified foods. It does not apply to naturally occurring niacin in chicken and fish. Nicotinic acid and nicotinamide have different effects at larger doses; a product's precise form matters. NIH upper references and forms.
What the food record establishes
Attention: No change indicated. The available estimate is 42 mg niacin, of which about 25 mg comes from chicken and 4.2 mg from sardines. Chicken edible weight and generic composition dominate uncertainty. The estimate omits tryptophan conversion, so it is not a complete NE calculation. Nonetheless, the counted niacin itself offers no indication of a dietary shortfall in this record.
A red warning because 42 is greater than 35 would be a classification error: the numerator is ordinary food niacin and the upper reference covers added forms. The appropriate question is whether an actual fortified food or supplement adds enough of the specified form to matter. No niacin supplement has been reported here.
Niacin as a drug is a different question
HPS2-THRIVE randomized 25,673 adults with vascular disease receiving statin-based therapy to 2 g extended-release niacin plus 40 mg laropiprant daily or placebo. Over a median 3.9 years, major vascular events occurred in 13.2% versus 13.7%, rate ratio 0.96, 95% CI 0.90–1.03. Serious adverse events increased with treatment. The intervention improved lipid measurements without demonstrating the primary clinical benefit. HPS2-THRIVE, 2014 primary trial.
This combined drug trial cannot isolate every effect of niacin from laropiprant or answer every newer NAD-precursor question. It does show why a favorable biomarker or metabolic mechanism is insufficient grounds to assume benefit. Nicotinamide riboside and NMN are separate compounds requiring separate trials; their marketing should not redefine the niacin RDA.
Practical implication
My present food pattern does not need extra niacin. The actionable task is to preserve food-versus-supplement distinctions and recheck the estimate if chicken portions or products change. No experiment with pharmacological niacin is implied by this diet guide.