Niacin: what it does, by goal, and the dose that worked
What the 309 human studies of niacin we graded show for each goal, the dose that worked, and the products that hold it. This page is educational, not medical advice.
What it does, by goalMembersThe top 5 of 21 goals
3 of these 309 human studies gave niacin by drip, injection or inhaler, not by mouth.
| Goal | What the studies show | Studies | Dose that worked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improved in studies 34 studies, 9 showed an improvement, 11 found none, 1 pooled analysis, 2 by drip, injection or inhaler | 34 | 200 mg | |
| Improved in studies 21 studies, 8 showed an improvement, 3 found none, 1 pooled analysis | 21 | 50 mg | |
| Improved in studies 16 studies, 4 showed an improvement, 3 pooled analyses | 16 | 1 g | |
| Improved in studies 9 studies, 3 showed an improvement, 1 by drip, injection or inhaler | 9 | – | |
| Improved in studies 7 studies, 2 showed an improvement | 7 | 4 % | |
| Improved in studies 6 studies, 2 showed an improvement, 3 found none | 6 | – | |
| Improved in studies 2 studies, both showed an improvement | 2 | – | |
| Improved in studies 10 studies, 1 showed an improvement, 3 found none, 1 pooled analysis | 10 | – | |
| Improved in studies 3 studies, 1 showed an improvement, 1 found none | 3 | – | |
| Improved in studies 2 studies, 1 showed an improvement | 2 | – | |
| Too few studies 4 studies, 1 found none | 4 | – | |
| Too few studies 3 studies, no clear result yet | 3 | – | |
| Too few studies 2 studies, no clear result yet | 2 | – | |
| No effect in studies 51 studies, 20 showed an improvement, 7 found none, 6 pooled analyses | 51 | 200 mg | |
| No effect in studies 45 studies, 20 showed an improvement, 4 found none, 10 pooled analyses | 45 | 1.5 g | |
| No effect in studies 57 studies, 11 showed an improvement, 23 found none, 8 pooled analyses | 57 | 4 mg | |
| No effect in studies 30 studies, 9 showed an improvement, 9 found none, 7 pooled analyses | 30 | 500 mg | |
| No effect in studies 31 studies, 5 showed an improvement, 12 found none, 4 pooled analyses | 31 | 500 mg | |
| No effect in studies 16 studies, 4 showed an improvement, 8 found none | 16 | 1.9 mg | |
| No effect in studies 8 studies, 1 showed an improvement, 2 found none | 8 | 65 mg | |
| No effect in studies 2 studies, both found no effect | 2 | – |
Members see which goal each result is for, and the products for it. Start My 7-Day Free Trial →
Products – highest ranked firstMembersThe top 3 of 16
Dose and safetyThe dose that worked and the upper limit
The studies taken by mouth that showed an improvement gave 1.9 mg to 4 g a day.
Biohacker panelMembersWhat our 10 biohackers say about niacin
Members see what each biohacker said. Start My 7-Day Free Trial →
Questions people askMembersAnswered from the figures on this page
What is niacin good for?
Answer for members.
How much niacin a day?
Answer for members.
Can I take niacin with my meds?
Answer for members.
Members see the answers, checked against their own meds and goals. Start My 7-Day Free Trial →
Educational, not medical advice. Figures come from the human studies on PubMed we have graded; a study counts for a form when it names the form it used. Updated as new studies arrive. How we grade →