Niacin, together with other B-vitamins, is a very important part of the energy metabolism pathways in the body. Lack of niacin leads to lower energy levels. I am sure you are tired and you can use a boost in energy. But don’t run to your medicine cabinet just yet. Most Americans consume enough niacin, measured as niacin equivalents (NE) to meet, and exceed their RDA. And more is not necessarily better; excess of niacin from supplements is known to cause adverse effects. How can you make sure you are getting enough NE from the diet without reaching for supplements? After all, why spend money if you don’t have to?
Let’s calculate the niacin intake for Alice and Harry, a young couple who are very active. They run in the morning and work out after work. They don’t take supplements and cook mostly natural foods, hardly ever buying foods that are enriched or in boxes. For your calculations, use their fairly typical diet from yesterday. We have supplied the amounts of niacin and tryptophan in their foods for you.
Dinner Preformed niacin 3.3mg Tryptophan 208mg
a cup of mixed vegetable soup
a slice of spinach quiche
a piece of homemade cheesecake
hibiscus hot tea
Lunch Harry niacin 14.9mg Tryptophan 390mg
chicken breast with half a cup of pasta and 1 medium tomato, iced tea
Lunch Alice niacin .7mg Tryptophan 77mg
creamy tomato soup, Caesar salad, water
Breakfast niacin .5 mg Tryptophan 55mg
a cup of steel-cut oats sprinkled with cinnamon (no milk)
Calculate the niacin intake for Alice based on her diet from yesterday (mg
NE/day)
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