Evidence supporting the use of: Vitamin B3 (unspecified)
For the health condition: Alcoholism

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Vitamin B3, which includes niacin and niacinamide, has a historical association with the treatment of alcoholism, primarily rooted in the orthomolecular psychiatry movement led by Abram Hoffer and colleagues in the mid-20th century. Hoffer and others advocated for high doses of niacin as a means to reduce cravings for alcohol and manage withdrawal symptoms, based on anecdotal case reports and small uncontrolled studies. This approach was never widely adopted into mainstream medicine due to lack of robust scientific validation and inconsistent results in controlled trials. The rationale for Vitamin B3 use was partly based on observations that chronic alcoholics often present with deficiencies in B vitamins, including niacin, which can lead to pellagra—a condition characterized by dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia.

Current scientific evidence does not support the use of Vitamin B3 as an effective primary or adjunctive treatment for alcoholism. While supplementation may be necessary in alcohol-dependent individuals who are deficient in niacin to prevent or treat pellagra, there is no high-quality evidence from randomized controlled trials to suggest that niacin supplementation reduces alcohol dependence, cravings, or withdrawal symptoms in otherwise well-nourished individuals. Thus, the use of Vitamin B3 for alcoholism is primarily justified by tradition and historical practices rather than strong scientific evidence.

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