A study by researchers at the University of Leicester has found that those who suffer from certain forms of Parkinson’s disease may benefit from increasing their vitamin B3 intake.
According to the study’s lead researcher Dr. Miguel Martins, Parkinson’s disease occurs when dopaminergic neurons in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra are lost. This, he says, can happen for a variety of reasons, but in some hereditary cases the problem is unhealthy mitochondria (organelles that power our cells). Functions of mitochondria depends on the cell type, though the most important function of the mitochondria is to produce energy.
Dr. Martins and his team of researchers studied mitochondria in fruit flies, specifically those with a mutation that mimics Parkinson’s disease in humans. Researchers fed the fruit flies with a mutated gene food supplemented with vitamin B3, which became nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) inside the body.
What they found is that with the extra source of NAD, the fruit flies had fewer unhealthy mitochondria compared to fruit flies that didn’t receive the vitamin B3 supplement.
Dr. Martin says the results of the study suggest that in hereditary cases of Parkinson’s disease available NAD is critical for keeping mitochondria in shape and the progressive disease at bay.
Editor’s note: Meat, fish and fortified enriched grains are sources of vitamin B3. For a list of the vitamin B3 content in common food, visit dieticians.ca where niacin content is organized by food category, such as meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, grains and more.
