Vitamin B3 (as Niacinamide)

Vitamin B3 (niacin and niacinamide) is a water-soluble B vitamin found in poultry, tuna, and mushrooms that serves as the primary dietary precursor to NAD+, the coenzyme essential for over 400 enzymatic reactions including energy metabolism, DNA repair, and brain function — making it one of the most functionally significant nutrients for women over 35 whose NAD+ levels are in natural decline. In element³ RISE (AM Formula), vitamin B3 is provided at 14mg (the full RDI) as a combination of niacin and niacinamide to support cellular energy, skin health, and cognitive clarity. If your mental sharpness fades by afternoon and your skin has lost its glow, NAD+ status — and the B3 that feeds it — deserves attention.

Vitamin B3 (as Niacinamide)

[ 01 ] Key Facts

Dose in element³ RISE (AM Formula): 14mg
Form Niacin + Niacinamide (dual form for broad NAD+ pathway support and skin benefits)
Signs you may need more Mental fatigue, poor skin tone or texture, irritability, digestive sluggishness
Safe range 14mg daily for adult women (RDI); upper intake level 35mg/day for supplemental niacin (due to potential flushing). Niacinamide does not cause flushing.

Food sources

  • Chicken breast
  • Tuna
  • Mushrooms
  • Green peas

[ 02 ] Rationale

Why this ingredient is in element³

Vitamin B3’s significance centres on a single molecule: NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). NAD+ is arguably the most important coenzyme in human metabolism. It is required for glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, the electron transport chain, and the sirtuin-mediated DNA repair pathways that NMN and Resveratrol in RISE are specifically designed to support. Without NAD+, none of these processes function.

The niacinamide form in RISE is deliberate. Niacinamide (nicotinamide) enters the NAD+ synthesis pathway via the salvage pathway, the most direct route to replenishing NAD+, and unlike nicotinic acid it does so without the flushing response that higher-dose niacin can cause. This makes it well suited to consistent daily use within a multi-ingredient formula.

Niacinamide has an additional benefit that niacin alone does not provide: direct support for skin barrier function. Niacinamide has been shown to increase ceramide synthesis in the skin, improve barrier integrity, reduce transepidermal water loss, and support an even skin tone. These are not cosmetic add-ons — they reflect genuine improvements in skin cell function driven by enhanced NAD+ availability in the epidermis.

Within the RISE longevity core, B3 occupies a unique bridging position. NMN provides a high-potency NAD+ precursor for cellular repair and sirtuin activation. B3 provides the baseline dietary NAD+ production that maintains the broader metabolic machinery. Think of NMN as targeted longevity support and B3 as the daily NAD+ maintenance that keeps the entire system running. Both are necessary; neither replaces the other.

The calming effect attributed to niacinamide is also noteworthy. It modulates the benzodiazepine receptor (a GABA-related pathway), which may contribute to reduced anxiety and a sense of cognitive calm without sedation — a subtle but valuable benefit for women managing the neurological effects of hormonal transitions.

[ 03 ] At 35+

Relevant at 35+

NAD+ levels decline measurably from the mid-30s onward, and this decline is one of the most well-documented biochemical changes of ageing. By age 50, NAD+ levels may be 50% lower than they were at 20. Since NAD+ is required for energy production at every stage of mitochondrial metabolism, this decline directly contributes to the fatigue, brain fog, and reduced recovery capacity that characterise ageing.

During perimenopause, the demand on NAD+-dependent systems intensifies. Hormonal shifts increase oxidative stress and DNA damage, both of which require NAD+-dependent PARP enzymes and sirtuins for repair. HPA axis dysregulation and chronic cortisol elevation further deplete NAD+ reserves by increasing the metabolic load on cells. The result is a widening gap between NAD+ supply and demand — a gap that adequate B3 intake helps to narrow.

The skin-specific benefits of niacinamide also become more relevant after 35. As oestrogen declines, ceramide production in the skin decreases, the skin barrier becomes more permeable, and moisture retention drops. Niacinamide supports ceramide synthesis from the inside, complementing topical skincare approaches and addressing the root cause of the skin dryness and dullness that many women notice during this transition.

[ 04 ] Your Questions

Your Questions

What is vitamin B3?
Vitamin B3 is a water-soluble B vitamin that exists in two primary forms: niacin (nicotinic acid) and niacinamide (nicotinamide). Both are precursors to NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) and NADP+ — coenzymes essential for energy metabolism, DNA repair, and hundreds of enzymatic reactions. Niacin and niacinamide have overlapping but distinct effects: niacin has direct cardiovascular benefits but causes a skin flushing response at higher doses, while niacinamide does not cause flushing and has additional skin-barrier and anti-inflammatory properties. element³ RISE uses both forms.

What are the benefits of taking vitamin B3?
Vitamin B3 supports cellular energy production as a direct NAD+ precursor, complements NMN’s NAD+ pathway support through a different entry point, and contributes to DNA repair via NAD+-dependent PARP enzymes. Niacinamide specifically supports skin barrier function, reduces inflammation, and has been shown to improve skin texture and reduce hyperpigmentation in clinical research. Niacin at higher doses supports cardiovascular health through its effects on lipid profiles. Together, the dual form in RISE provides both energetic and structural benefits.

What are the benefits of vitamin B3 in the element³ protocol?
In element³ RISE, vitamin B3 at 14mg (as niacin and niacinamide) contributes to NAD+ synthesis through a complementary pathway to NMN. Where NMN is converted to NAD+ via the salvage pathway, niacin and niacinamide feed into the de novo synthesis pathway — meaning both ingredients together support NAD+ levels more comprehensively than either alone. The niacinamide component also directly contributes to the skin, hair, and nails benefit of RISE, with clinical evidence for its role in skin barrier function and reduced skin inflammation.

What other vitamin B3 benefits are found in clinical research?
Clinical research has demonstrated niacin’s benefits for cardiovascular health at higher doses (1,000–3,000mg), including raising HDL cholesterol and improving lipid profiles. Niacinamide has substantial clinical evidence for skin health — a well-studied topical and oral agent for acne, rosacea, and hyperpigmentation. Research also links niacinamide to improvements in insulin sensitivity, DNA repair capacity, and inflammatory cytokine reduction. The MITO-ACTIVE™ Complex in RISE leverages the NAD+ pathway that both NMN and B3 support through different precursor routes.

What is the recommended daily intake of vitamin B3?
The recommended dietary intake for adult women is 14mg NE (niacin equivalents) per day. element³ RISE provides 14mg per serve, exactly at the RDI. The upper intake level for supplemental niacin is 35mg per day due to the potential for flushing and, at very high doses, liver stress. However, this upper limit primarily applies to high-dose niacin; niacinamide does not cause flushing and has a higher practical safety ceiling. The 14mg in RISE combines both forms at the RDI level, well within safe parameters.

What food provides vitamin B3?
Niacin is found in chicken breast, tuna, turkey, salmon, pork, mushrooms, peanuts, and green peas. It can also be synthesised in the body from the amino acid tryptophan (60mg tryptophan yields approximately 1mg niacin). Most women who eat meat and poultry regularly will obtain reasonable dietary niacin, but those following plant-based diets may have lower intake. Niacinamide is less abundant in food than niacin, which is one reason the dual-form approach in RISE is nutritionally valuable.

Are there any vitamin B3 side effects?
At the 14mg dose in element³ RISE, vitamin B3 is safe and well-tolerated. The niacin flushing response — temporary redness, warmth, and tingling of the skin — is a dose-dependent effect that occurs at higher supplemental doses (typically above 50mg of immediate-release niacin) and is not expected at 14mg. Niacinamide does not cause flushing at any dose. Very high niacin doses (above 1,500–3,000mg daily) can cause liver stress with prolonged use; the dose in RISE is many orders of magnitude below this threshold.

What are vitamin B3 deficiency symptoms?
Severe vitamin B3 deficiency causes pellagra — characterised by the “4 D’s”: dermatitis, diarrhoea, dementia, and death. This is rare in developed countries with access to a varied diet. Subclinical deficiency or insufficiency presents more subtly: mental fatigue and poor concentration, irritability, digestive sluggishness, poor skin tone or texture, and reduced stress resilience. Because niacin is involved in NAD+ synthesis and energy metabolism, low status can compound the fatigue and cognitive effects of inadequate intake of other B vitamins.

What form of vitamin B3 is in the element³ blend?
element³ RISE uses a dual-form B3 combination: niacin (nicotinic acid) and niacinamide (nicotinamide). This is a deliberate formulation choice. Niacin provides cardiovascular and NAD+ support through the nicotinic acid receptor pathway; niacinamide provides skin-barrier, anti-inflammatory, and NAD+ support through the nicotinamide pathway without any flushing response. Together at the 14mg RDI dose, they provide broader biological coverage than either form alone, while remaining within the safe dose range where niacin flushing is not a concern.

[ 05 ] The Research

1 study

The Research

Study Key finding Why it's here
Vitamin B3 Fact Sheet for Health ProfessionalsNational Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. (2024). Niacin: Health Professional Fact Sheet. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Niacin-HealthProfessional/
Authoritative review of clinical evidence describing niacin/niacinamide's role in NAD-dependent energy metabolism, skin function and nervous-system support, and recommended intake levels.
Supports cellular energy metabolism and normal nervous-system function.
 Read →

[ 06 ] In the Protocol

Where Vitamin B3 (as Niacinamide) sits in the element³ Protocol

In RISE (AM Formula), Vitamin B3 at 14mg as niacin + niacinamide provides dual-pathway NAD+ production — the baseline metabolic fuel that powers over 400 enzymatic reactions including energy production, DNA repair, and sirtuin activation. It bridges the gap between RISE’s targeted NAD+ precursor (NMN at 250mg) and the body’s broader NAD+-dependent systems. Niacinamide’s additional support for skin barrier function and its calming effect on GABA-related pathways make B3 a uniquely multifunctional ingredient. Taken in the morning alongside the full B-vitamin energy cascade (B1, B2, B5), it ensures that both energy metabolism and cellular maintenance are operating from a position of sufficiency.

You can learn more about the full element³ ingredient philosophy at element3.co.nz.

You can learn more about the full element³ ingredient philosophy at element3.co.nz.