What is Niacin and Why is it Included in Microdosing Stacks?

Niacin, aka Vitamin B3, aka Nicotinic Acid is a common vitamin found in fish, poultry, avocado and whole grains. It is an essential nutrient, meaning your body can’t make or store it, so it needs to be taken in from your environment. It’s a crucial vitamin involved in a range of critical bodily functions . 

Niacin is involved in more than 500 intracellular reactions in a healthy person’s body, including:

• The synthesis of NAD and NADP, which is used for energy production (Bourgeois & Moss, 2010)
• Supporting healthy brain function (Niacin Fact Sheet, 2022)
• Reducing oxidative stress and inflammation

Niacin frequently appears as a non-psychoactive ingredient in psychedelic microdosing stacks, including the famous Stamets Stack for two main reasons:

Vasodilation:

Niacin is a natural vasodilator, meaning it causes blood vessels to expand. This action is part of why it is sometimes used to treat high blood pressure in individuals with hypertension. In the case of microdosing, the theory goes that by opening up blood vessels, the psychoactive compounds (and any other complementary stack ingredients) can gain deeper access to the nervous system, especially the tiny capillaries at the extremities (Rootman et al. 2022). It can also act as a counterbalance to psilocybin, which can cause the constriction of blood vessels.

Promotion of Neural Plasticity:

Niacin has documented evidence of promoting plasticity of neural connections and nerve axon growth in animal and in vitro models (Cui et al., 2010). When taken in conjunction with certain other neuroplasticity-promoting substances, such as lion’s mane and psilocybin itself, it appears to have a compounding effect, potentially yielding benefits above what you would expect from the individual components themselves.

Niacin is a powerful nutrient that offers multiple benefits in and out of the context of microdosing. Niacin can help support the user in many ways, but taken in high amounts–which it often is when used as an accompaniment to a microdose, it does have some drawbacks. These range from a nuisance to potentially dangerous, and we’ll outline these risks and how to mitigate them in this article.

Potential Side Effects of Niacin in Microdosing

Depending on your individual reaction and physiology, a high dose of niacin can potentially cause a range of unintended side effects. Some of the most notable include:

Niacin Flush:

This is the most common negative reaction. Responses will vary from person to person, but starting at around a dose of 50mg or above, people start to report symptoms including skin redness, tingling, and other discomfort. It normally resolves itself within a couple hours, but some people find it to be quite unpleasant.

Gastrointestinal Issues:

People who take high doses of niacin sometimes also report nausea, indigestion or diarrhea. This happens most commonly when users take it on an empty stomach.

Headaches:

Headaches are another negative response sometimes seen in association with niacin supplementation. Similar to the digestive issues mentioned above, they are often the result of taking high doses on an empty stomach.

Blood Sugar Fluctuations:

Another potential issue comes from niacin’s role in metabolism. For some people–especially those with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, niacin can cause disregulation of blood sugar. This can take the form of dizziness, fatigue, or the aforementioned headaches.

Liver Stress and Demethylation:

Excess niacin is removed from the body by the liver. In this process, methyl groups attach to the niacin, which is then excreted in the urine. With extended use at high levels, this has potential to stress the liver and deplete its supply of methyl groups, which are needed for other functions, including synthesis of several neurotransmitters. This is a particular risk for people with the MTHFR mutation.

Interactions and Condition-Specific Risks:

Several medications like statins or nicotine patches that can have negative interactions with niacin. Also, people with certain health conditions such as diabetes, liver or kidney disease, stomach ulcers should either avoid niacin supplementation or do so only under the close supervision of a doctor (Vitamin B3 (Niacin) Information | Mount Sinai - New York, 2014).

How to Mitigate Niacin Side Effects in Microdosing

Now that we’ve covered the potential benefits, as well as the possible pitfalls of using niacin in your microdosing stack, let’s review how you can tip the scales in your favor to reduce your likelihood of negative reactions.

Dosage Control:

This first one is easy: don’t be a hero. There are a lot of tablets on the market that contain 500mg or more of niacin, but the official guidance for the Stamets Stack is that 25-50mg is enough (Stamets, 2023). Some say if you’re not flushing, it’s not working...but it’s just not necessary for microdose support.

Pectin:

Studies have shown that taking pectin with niacin can shorten or eliminate niacin flush (Moriarty, et al., 2012). You can get this by taking pure pectin with your dose or getting it from food. This is the reason people sometimes say you should eat an apple to alleviate niacin flush. 

Hydration:

Drink plenty of water. This can make a huge difference. Even if you’re not taking niacin…just do it.

Avoid Alcohol:

Alcohol can increase your risk of liver damage as well as exacerbate the other common side effects like flush and indigestion (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2023).

Top Up Your Methyl Groups:

Especially if predisposed to issues with methylation, it can be a good idea to supplement your methyl groups to avoid liver stress or reduced supply for things like serotonin synthesis over time. Given the common reasons for microdosing, that would be singularly counterproductive. Methyl groups can be easily topped up by taking a methyl donor like TMG, aka betaine anhydrous.

Take a Balanced Microdose Support Supplement:

With the increasing popularity of microdosing, dedicated microdose support supplements have started to appear in the market. Research your chosen brand to ensure it is high quality and thoughtfully formulated to elevate the benefits of microdosing while minimizing risk of harm. 

Professional Advice and Regular Monitoring:

Getting your doctor’s advice and having your blood work done on a regular basis is a great way to avoid negative reactions and catch potential long term complications before they become a problem. This is especially important if you’re diabetic.

**A couple common solutions you might want to think twice about when microdosing:

Aspirin:

Aspirin is a commonly proposed solution to niacin flush, and it works. However, it works by suppressing niacin’s vasodilation action. If you want to get the benefits of niacin with your microdose, you’re better off using pectin, which has been shown to be equally effective.

Taking Your Dose with Food:

Common advice for reducing niacin’s acute side effects says to take it with food. Again, this will probably help. BUT, before you do this, consider how that works with your microdose.  Many people prefer to microdose on an empty stomach. If that’s what works best for you, try to avoid compromising on that if possible.

Alternative Niacin Forms:

There are lots of “non-flush”, “extended release”, and other variants of niacin on market. They have a place, but for microdose support, plain, full flush niacin is best for almost every use case. The other forms usually don’t offer the same desired effects, and some appear to bring additional risk of liver damage and other new risks (Mackay, et al., 2012).

When to Seek Professional Advice

It’s always a good idea to seek the advice of a healthcare professional before embarking on a new microdosing or supplementation regime. This is particularly important for niacin for people with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, liver or kidney disease, or stomach issues or people with an MTHFR mutation.

Severe allergic reactions to niacin are rare. With that said, seek medical attention right away if you feel any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: intense rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat and in excess of the usual flush reaction), severe dizziness, or trouble breathing.

Conclusion

Niacin is potentially a powerful tool as a microdose support supplement. However, it is not always a free ride. Some people experience side effects that range from annoying to potentially dangerous. The good news is that users can mitigate risks by understanding them, taking mindful steps to reduce their severity or likelihood of occurring at all, and monitoring their responses carefully. 

By following a disciplined approach, taking into account best practices and the learning  approaches that work best for you, you can improve your chances of getting the best outcomes possible. Psychedelic microdosing is a practice that takes time and effort. Finding the best approach for your goals and physiology will improve your returns on this investment.

References:

Bourgeois, C., & Moss, J. (2010). Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements (P. M. Coates, J. M. Betz, M. R. Blackman, G. M. Cragg, M. Levine, J. Moss & J. D. White, Eds.) (2nd ed., pp. 562-569). New York, NY: Informa Healthcare.

Cui, X., Chopp, M., Zacharek, A., Roberts, C., Buller, B., Ion, M., & Chen, J. (2010). Niacin Treatment of Stroke Increases Synaptic Plasticity and Axon Growth in Rats. Stroke, 41(9), 2044–2049. https://doi.org/10.1161/strokeaha.110.589333

Mackay, D., Hathcock, J., & Guarneri, E. (2012). Niacin: Chemical forms, bioavailability, and health effects. Nutrition Reviews, 70(6), 357-366. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2012.00479.x

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2023). Niacin. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-niacin/art-20364984

Moriarty, P. M., Backes, J., Dutton, J. A., He, J., Ruisinger, J. F., & Schmelzle, K. (2012). Apple pectin for the reduction of niacin-induced flushing. Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 7(2), 140-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacl.2012.11.005

National Institutes of Health (2022, November 18). Niacin Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved May 9, 2023, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Niacin-HealthProfessional/#en2

Rootman, J. M., Kiraga, M., Kryskow, P., Harvey, K., Stamets, P., Santos-Brault, E., Kuypers, K. P., & Walsh, Z. (2022). Psilocybin microdosers demonstrate greater observed improvements in mood and mental health at one month relative to non-microdosing controls. Scientific Reports, 12(11091). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14512-3

Stamets, P. (2023). Psilocybin Mushrooms and their Tryptamines: Potential Medicines for Neurogeneration [Review of Psilocybin Mushrooms and their Tryptamines: Potential Medicines for Neurogeneration]. In Yale School of Medicine. https://medicine.yale.edu/media-player/stamets-yale-seminar/