Ray Peat on Niacinamide

January 29, 2026

The effect of estrogen on tryptophan metabolism

"Estrogen strongly influences tryptophan metabolism by increasing its conversion to serotonin at the expense of niacinamide, which explains the symptoms of pellagra when the diet is low in tryptophan. When sufficient protein is present in the diet, the promotion of serotonin synthesis does not lead to a niacinamide deficiency, but conditions that increase the influence of estrogen also exacerbate the dysfunctions associated with serotonin."

September 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Nutritional therapy and hormonal support for abnormal Pap smears

“Many women with abnormal Pap smears, even when a biopsy revealed carcinoma in situ, returned to normal after just two months when they followed a diet containing the following: 90 g protein, 500 mg magnesium chloride, 100,000 IU vitamin A, 400 IU vitamin E, 5 mg folic acid, 100 mg pantothenic acid, 100 mg vitamin B6, 100 mg niacinamide, and 500 mg vitamin C, supplemented as needed with thyroid and progesterone. Liver should be eaten twice a week. Some women apply vitamin A directly to the cervix.”

Nutrition For Women

Protective factors in Parkinson's disease generally counteract estrogen.

"Factors that are likely to have a protective effect in Parkinson's disease are generally protective against estrogen and inflammatory-degenerative processes: progesterone, minocycline and other anti-inflammatory antibiotics, agmatine, aspirin, coffee, niacinamide, citrus flavonoids, vitamin D, ACE inhibitors, and fiber-rich antiseptic foods."

March 2017 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

List of various medications and dietary supplements

"Acetazolamide, agmatine, amantadine, aminoguanidine, antibiotics (minocycline, tetracycline, etc.), antihistamines, aspirin, bromocriptine, DCA, emodin, glucagon, glucose, memantine, methylene blue, niacinamide, T3 (triiodothyronine), vitamin D, vitamin E."

March 2016 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Reduction of the harmful effects of excess serotonin

“Avoiding prolonged fasting and stressful training, which increase free fatty acids; combining sugars with proteins to keep free fatty acids low; using aspirin, niacinamide, or cyproheptadine to reduce the formation of free fatty acids due to unavoidable stress; avoiding an excess of phosphate relative to calcium in the diet; consuming milk and other anti-stress foods before bed or during the night; and spending time in a brightly lit environment with regular sunlight during the day – all of these can minimize the harmful effects of excess serotonin and reduce the associated inflammation, fibrosis, and atrophy.”

July 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Protective substances against the effects of impaired glucose oxidation

“Other substances that protect against the effects of hypoglycemia or impaired glucose oxidation include progesterone, caffeine, certain anesthetics including xenon, niacinamide, agmatine and carbon dioxide.”

January 2017 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Defense mechanisms against nitric oxide: The nutritional approach

"The most important anti-nitric oxide defense compounds include progesterone, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin A, niacinamide, coffee, aspirin, and foods containing flavonoids, terpenoids, polyphenols, and sterols. Grass-fed milk contains a variety of polyphenols. Citrus fruits, many tropical fruits (e.g., guavas, longans, and lychees), and cooked mushrooms are good sources of apigenin, naringenin, and related compounds."

January 2016 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

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