Niacin

What it is · too little · too much · daily reference values by country

For reference only. This is not a diagnosis or a prescription. If you have concerns, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.

What it is

Niacin is converted into coenzymes in the body, takes part in oxidation-reduction reactions, and plays an important role especially in energy metabolism. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Niacin is required for oxidation-reduction reactions as well as catabolic and anabolic processes. (European Food Safety Authority)

Getting too little

Niacin deficiency is a risk factor for pellagra, which includes dermatitis, dementia, and nervous system and digestive tract disorders. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Niacin deficiency is rare in industrialised countries, but long-term niacin deficiency may result in pellagra, a condition characterized by photosensitive dermatitis, skin lesions, tongue and mouth soreness, vomiting, diarrhoea, depression and dementia. (European Food Safety Authority)

Getting too much

No cases of niacin excess from eating food have been reported, but harmful effects have been reported that may appear when large amounts of nicotinic acid are taken as a medicine for dyslipidemia, or when too much niacin is taken from supplements or fortified foods. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Taking a lot of nicotinic acid causes flushing of the face, arms, chest, and elsewhere, which is reported to be a temporary symptom. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)

Daily reference values by country

Korea · US · EU — tap to open

These tables are daily reference values for healthy people. Numbers in the text above are a different kind of value, and you cannot diagnose yourself from them. How to read RDA, AI and UL

Korea — 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (Ministry of Health and Welfare)

Group	EAR	RNI	AI	UL — Nicotinic acid	UL — Nicotinamide
0–5 months			2 mg
6–11 months			3 mg
1–2 years	4 mg	5 mg		10 mg	150 mg
3–5 years	5 mg	6 mg		10 mg	200 mg
Male · 6–8 years	7 mg	8 mg		15 mg	300 mg
Male · 9–11 years	9 mg	11 mg		20 mg	450 mg
Male · 12–14 years	11 mg	14 mg		25 mg	600 mg
Male · 15–18 years	13 mg	16 mg		30 mg	650 mg
Male · 19–29 years	12 mg	14 mg		35 mg	850 mg
Male · 30–49 years	12 mg	14 mg		35 mg	850 mg
Male · 50–64 years	12 mg	14 mg		35 mg	850 mg
Male · 65–74 years	11 mg	13 mg		35 mg	850 mg
Male · 75+ years	10 mg	12 mg		35 mg	850 mg
Female · 6–8 years	7 mg	8 mg		15 mg	300 mg
Female · 9–11 years	9 mg	11 mg		20 mg	450 mg
Female · 12–14 years	11 mg	14 mg		25 mg	600 mg
Female · 15–18 years	11 mg	13 mg		30 mg	650 mg
Female · 19–29 years	11 mg	13 mg		35 mg	850 mg
Female · 30–49 years	11 mg	13 mg		35 mg	850 mg
Female · 50–64 years	11 mg	13 mg		35 mg	850 mg
Female · 65–74 years	10 mg	12 mg		35 mg	850 mg
Female · 75+ years	9 mg	11 mg		35 mg	850 mg
Pregnancy	+3 mg	+4 mg		35 mg	850 mg
Lactation	+2 mg	+3 mg		35 mg	850 mg

UL — Nicotinic acid — applies to: A separate upper limit set for the nicotinic acid form (nicotinic acid and nicotinamide are set separately because their harmful effects differ)
UL — Nicotinamide — applies to: A separate upper limit set for the nicotinamide form (nicotinic acid and nicotinamide are set separately because their harmful effects differ)

US — NASEM (National Academies)

Group	EAR	RDA	AI	UL
1–3 years	5 mg	6 mg		10 mg
4–8 years	6 mg	8 mg		15 mg
Male · 9–13 years	9 mg	12 mg		20 mg
Male · 14–18 years	12 mg	16 mg		30 mg
Male · 19–30 years	12 mg	16 mg		35 mg
Male · 31–50 years	12 mg	16 mg		35 mg
Male · 51–70 years	12 mg	16 mg		35 mg
Male · 71+ years	12 mg	16 mg		35 mg
Female · 9–13 years	9 mg	12 mg		20 mg
Female · 14–18 years	11 mg	14 mg		30 mg
Female · 19–30 years	11 mg	14 mg		35 mg
Female · 31–50 years	11 mg	14 mg		35 mg
Female · 51–70 years	11 mg	14 mg		35 mg
Female · 71+ years	11 mg	14 mg		35 mg
Pregnancy · 14–18 years	14 mg	18 mg		30 mg
Pregnancy · 19–30 years	14 mg	18 mg		35 mg
Pregnancy · 31–50 years	14 mg	18 mg		35 mg
Lactation · 14–18 years	13 mg	17 mg		30 mg
Lactation · 19–30 years	13 mg	17 mg		35 mg
Lactation · 31–50 years	13 mg	17 mg		35 mg
0–6 months			2 mg	—
7–12 months			4 mg	—

UL — applies to: Applies to synthetic forms obtained from supplements, fortified foods, or a combination of the two (niacin naturally in food is not included).

EU — EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)

Group	AR	PRI	UL — Nicotinic acid	UL — Nicotinamide
7–11 months	—	—
1–3 years	—	—	Checking	Checking
4–6 years	—	—	Checking	Checking
7–10 years	—	—	Checking	Checking
11–14 years	—	—	Checking	Checking
15–17 years	—	—	Checking	Checking
18+ years	—	—	Checking	Checking
Lactation · 18–60 years	—	—
Pregnancy · 18–60 years	—	—
Pregnancy · 18+ years			—	—
Lactation · 18+ years			—	—

Sources

EFSA DRV Finder (Dietary Reference Values) · checked 2026-10-07
EFSA DRV Finder — nutrient descriptions · checked 2026-10-07
EFSA Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (v11, August 2025) · checked 2026-10-07
2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, Vol. 2: Vitamins (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans — summary tables (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (Appendix J, 2019) · checked 2026-10-07

The sentences are plain-language summaries of official sources written by SuppleBoard. Each English sentence was checked against the source text by an AI reviewer before publishing. The agencies do not endorse this site. Published 2026-10-16.

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