What is niacinamide?

Niacinamide is a chemical compound that can be used to treat vitamin B3 deficiency. Vitamin B3 is also known as niacin, and niacinamide is the synthesized form of niacin.

Niacinamide is only prescribed to patients who have a deficiency in niacin. This type of deficiency occurs in patients who do not get enough niacin from the foods they eat, in people with malabsorption syndromes, or in patients who take certain medications chronically. Niacinamide is prescribed in cases of a deficiency instead of niacin because it produces less harsh side effects and because it does not affect a patient's overall blood cholesterol levels like niacin does.