Other functions of niacin include removing toxic chemicals from the body, and assisting in the production of steroid hormones made by the adrenal gland, such as sex hormones and stress-related hormones.
Niacin information
Niacin was first discovered from the oxidation of nicotine to form nicotinic acid. When the properties of nicotinic acid were discovered, it was given a name that would dissociate it from nicotine, in order to avoid the perception that vitamins or niacin-rich food contain nicotine. The resulting name 'niacin' was derived from nicotinic acid + vitamin.Niacin is also referred to as Vitamin B3 because it was the third of the B vitamins to be discovered. It has historically been referred to as "vitamin PP", a name derived from the term "pellagra-preventing factor", because the disease pellagra is due to a deficiency of niacin in the diet.
