How To Use Vitamin B3 To Prevent Skin Cancer?

Use Vitamin B3 To Prevent Skin Cancer

In this article, you are going to get the information on how to use Vitamin B3 to prevent skin cancer. Did you know that a widely available oral pill can prevent common skin cancers? Among patients at high risk for skin cancer, Nicotinamide, also known as Vitamin B3, can cut the rate of new squamous-cell and basal-cell skin cancers by 23%.

How it works?

It is known that even low doses of UV radiation from the sun can cause skin cancer. Besides the direct damage of UV radiation to the DNA, it also suppresses the skin’s immune defense.

Scientists found out that Nicotinamide can prevent sunlight-induced immune suppression and improve the energy level of the cell, which leads to a more efficient DNA repair following sun exposure.

It is essential to know that researchers are recommending Vitamin B3 to prevent skin cancer only in a special form, Nicotinamide, but not other types, such as Niacin.

How to get Nicotinamide?

Nicotinamide is an inexpensive, over-the-counter vitamin supplement, which was discovered between 1935 and 1937. It is safe and inexpensive.

What is skin cancer?

Skin cancer is becoming increasingly common in our society because of exposure to environmental carcinogens and sunlight (from ozone depletion). Skin cancer arises as a result of an uncontrolled and abnormal proliferation of the cells of the skin. The majority of skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and malignant melanoma which account for most of the skin cancer affecting humans.

Symptoms of skin cancer

The symptoms of skin cancer vary depending on the type of skin cancer. However, there share similar features which are:

  • A skin lesion that can develop at any site of the skin ranging from an ugly fungating mass, a large outgrowth mass, presence of skin ulcers that are malignant or the formation of malignant skin nodules
  • Presence of  a skin ulcer that is itching, painful and slowly increasing in size
  • Presence of skin nodule that is asymmetrical, with an indistinct border, color variegate which is rapidly increasing in size
  • Anorexia, nausea, and vomiting
  • Loss of appetite, weight loss, and generalized body weakness
  • Associated skin rashes and pruritus

Sources:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1506197#t=article
https://www.cancernetwork.com/skin-cancer-nonmelanoma/evidence-nicotinamide-high-risk-non-melanoma-skin-cancers
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4570055/
https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/blog/the-role-of-vitamin-b3-in-reducing-non-melanoma-skin-cancer/