Researchers believe that Vitamin B3 could be the new weapon in the fight against superbugs such as MRSA - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - the potentially fatal strain found in hospitals and nursing homes as well as prisons, the military and amongst athletes. Staphylococcus aureus (Golden Staph)  is a natural part of healthy human skin and nose flora, but can cause infection if it is able to enter the body through a tear in the protective membranes. While many staph infections are fairly minor, serious cases can cause symptoms such as abscesses, boils and even necrosis (cell death, or "flesh-eating"), blood infections (sepsis) or pneumonia. Due to its resistance to antibiotics, MRSA is especially dangerous and now kills many thousands of people per year around the world. Experts in the US have found that vitamin B3, also known as niacin or nicotinamide, boosts the ability of immune cells to kill Staphylococcus bacteria. Vitamin B3 increases the numbers and efficacy of neutrophils - white blood cells - that can kill and eat harmful bugs.

A Vitamin B3 Intake Higher Than Dietary Sources

The scientists used extremely high doses of Vitamin B3, higher than those obtained from any dietary sources, in their tests. While the doses of B3 tested were far beyond what a normal diet would provide, the scientists noted that they were in amounts that have already been shown to be safe for humans.

Vitamin B3 “Switches On” The Human Immune System

Researchers say B3 appears to be able to "switch on" certain antimicrobial genes, boosting the immune cells' killing power by 1000 fold.  In human blood, vitamin B3 triggered an immune response that quickly produced an attack on the staph cells and led to the infection being cleared. The vitamin treatment was particularly effective against antibiotic-resistant staph strains, the researchers found.

Vitamin B3 a possible new way to treat Staph infections

Antibiotics face increasing problems with resistance by various types of bacteria, especially Staphylococcus aureus. Researchers say this could mean a new way to treat potentially deadly Staph infections. "It's a way to tap into the power of the innate immune system and stimulate it to provide a more powerful and natural immune response," Adrian Gombart, an associate professor in OSU's Linus Pauling Institute, said in a press statement.  Dr. Gombart discovered 10 years ago that a human genetic mutation makes some people more vulnerable to bacterial infections. However, nicotinamide could help reduce dependence on antibiotics.

Vitamin B3 Is Effective Against A Wide Range Of Pathogens

Vitamin B3 is not just effective against S. aureus. Several other virulent pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), also seem to respond favourably to Vitamin B3’s dramatic immune-boosting capacity. By boosting the immune system's natural defenses, B3 appears to destroy and eliminate a wide range of deadly pathogens and viruses.  Unlike antibiotic drugs, vitamin B3 does not destroy all the beneficial bacteria in the gut along with the harmful bacteria. So for most people, taking mega-doses of therapeutic vitamin B3 would be preferable to taking immune-destroying antibiotics that can later promote the growth of Candida albicans and other harmful yeast overgrowth and bacterial imbalances within the body.

High Doses Of Vitamin B3 Need To Be Administered By A Doctor

Because the vitamin doses used in the study were so high, and because niacin may cause liver damage in extreme concentrations, a vitamin B3 treatment would need to be prescribed and administered by a doctor, Gombart said.  Combining vitamin B3 treatment with antibiotics might be an effective way to clear out hard-to-treat infections and slow the evolution of drug-resistant strains, he suggested.  "When there are multiple points of attack, it's always harder to develop resistance," he said. For more information about Vitamiin B3 and it's role in fighting infections 'Ask a Naturopath' at Mr Vitamins