A recent study has shown that high doses of vitamin B3, specifically nicotinamide riboside, could improve lung health in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition responsible for 30,000 annual deaths in Britain.
Researchers in Copenhagen found that 20 COPD patients given four daily tablets of vitamin B3 showed significant reductions in lung inflammation compared to a control group. The vitamin, found in dairy products and converted in the body to NAD+, may strengthen the immune system, which is often weakened in COPD patients.
While the findings are promising, experts caution that self-administration of high doses could be harmful, causing side effects like headaches and heart palpitations. They stress the need for larger studies to confirm these results.
COPD, often linked to smoking or chemical exposure, affects 1.2 million adults in Britain, with symptoms including persistent cough and shortness of breath. Lead researcher Professor Morten Scheibye-Knudsen expressed hope that this breakthrough could lead to new treatments for the disease.
