By steve
Liver is a great source of Niacin
What is Niacin?
Niacin, one of the B-vitamins, is an essential vitamin for humans and dogs. Niacin occurs naturally in many foods, including organ meat like liver, beef, fish, poultry, eggs, and legumes.
Common names for Niacin
The most common name variations for Niacin include Vitamin B-3 and nicotinic acid.
Why is Niacin included in dog food?
Niacin helps with skin and coat health (due to its involvement in fatty acid synthesis). It is needed for the body to break down sugars and fats into energy.
Is Niacin a commonly used ingredient in dog food?
Yes it is very common. We found Niacin in 72% of all dog foods in our database.
Common benefits or risks of Niacin
Niacin is essential for a healthy nervous system and skin. It helps with the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Niacin also supports a healthy gastrointestinal system.
Niacin is crucial for a healthy body. A niacin deficiency can cause weight loss, inflammation around the mouth and throat, black tongue, salivation, blood in the saliva and bloody diarrhea and stomach ulcers.
Like most things, too much Niacin can cause some problems. Common issues from over consumption include skin flushing and itching, dry skin, upset stomach.
Miscellaneous facts about Niacin
Niacin is often used to help with high cholesterol in humans. Niacin is sometimes used to reduce the symptoms of arthritis in humans as well.
Niacin was the third B vitamin to be identified as a dietary essential.
Slimdoggy Ingredient Comfort Level
Niacin is crucial for a properly functioning body. For this reason, we give this ingredient a “smiley” rating.
Consider supplementing your dog’s food with store bought liver to obtain the whole food nutritional benefit of Niacin.
Sources and further reading
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/supplement-guide-niacin
http://www.petfoodindustry.com/Sub_Level_-_News/8199.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacin
We’re joining the Tasty Tuesday Blog Hop sponsored by Sugar, the Golden Retriever and Kolchak from Kol’s Notes:
From: Dog Food Ingredients A to Z: Niacin
