Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown a form of vitamin B3 to be “safe and effective in reducing the rates of new nonmelanoma skin cancers and actinic keratoses in high-risk patients.”
The study defined “high-risk” as people having 2 non-melanoma skin cancers in the past 5 years; this included basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. Also, pre-cancerous growths called actinic keratoses (sometimes “AK” for short) were monitored.
Vitamin B3 is common and most likely in your multivitamin and/or B complex, if you take either. You can also get it from foods (especially plant foods). To get a therapeutic dose, a supplement would get you that higher amount. However, as with most supplements, the molecular formulation matters.
- Generic B3 would not be so helpful here.
- The specific form that has been studied is called nicotinamide, or niacinamide.
- The dosage understood to be helpful was 500mg of this form, 2-3 times daily.
B vitamins are water soluble, so your body typically excretes what it doesn’t need in your urine. That said, always check with your own healthcare provider before trying a new supplement or health protocol.
The high-risk individuals in the study were monitored over 18 months, after which the number of non-melanoma skin cancers and AKs was approximately 20-30% lower in the treatment group than the placebo group.
Another great way to support your skin health? Protect it with sunscreen or clothing/shade when you’re outdoors during the daytime for more than 10-15 minutes at a time.
May you be well.
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1506197
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