Foods high in Niacin

Niacin is a building block for coenzymes the body relies on for hundreds of metabolic reactions, from converting food into energy to repairing DNA. Because the body can also convert the amino acid tryptophan into niacin, and because grain fortification is widespread, outright niacin deficiency is uncommon in industrialized countries today. The people at real risk of running low are a narrower group: those with very limited or restrictive diets, chronic heavy alcohol use, or carcinoid syndrome, a tumor condition that diverts tryptophan away from niacin production. Outside of high-dose supplement or prescription use, which carries its own separate set of considerations around flushing and liver effects, niacin from ordinary food is not something most people need to actively track. The list below ranks foods and ingredients by measured niacin content per the amount tested. Fortified products and baker's yeast tend to sit at the very top because they concentrate niacin well beyond what a typical serving of whole food provides. Meat, poultry, fish, legumes, and fortified grains further down the ranking are the sources that make up most people's realistic day-to-day intake, and are generally a more useful reference point than the most concentrated entries alone.