Niacin is a vitamin. Your body needs a little of it for healthy skin and nerves, and for turning food into energy. It is also called vitamin B3. You get it from meat, fish, peanuts and some grains.

Niacin is a vitaminNiacin是一種維生素. Your body needs a little of it身體需要一點點它 for healthy skin and nerves來維持皮膚和神經健康, and for turning food into energy也用來把食物轉換成能量. It is also called vitamin B3它也叫做vitamin B3（維生素B3）. You get it from meat, fish, peanuts and some grains你可以從肉、魚、花生和一些穀類裡攝取到它.

Though actually, the name is a careful invention: in 1942 scientists built it from nicotinic + acid + vitamin, because “nicotinic acid” sounds as if it belongs with nicotine, the drug in cigarettes. They did not want people to think vitamins were tobacco, or that smoking gave you vitamins. Eating a niacin-rich meal is nothing like smoking.

Though actually不過其實 the name is a careful invention這個名字是刻意造出來的: in 1942 scientists built it from1942年科學家用這些造出這個字 nicotinic + acid + vitaminnicotinic（菸鹼的）+acid（酸）+vitamin（維生素）, because "nicotinic acid" sounds as if因為「nicotinic acid」聽起來好像 it belongs with nicotine, the drug in cigarettes跟香菸裡的nicotine（尼古丁）有關. They did not want people to think他們不希望大家覺得 vitamins were tobacco維生素是菸草, or that smoking gave you vitamins或抽菸能補充維生素. Eating a niacin-rich meal吃一頓富含niacin的餐 is nothing like smoking跟抽菸一點關係都沒有.

Too little niacin over a long time can cause a serious illness called pellagra; that is rare now where diets are mixed. Doctors sometimes use much larger amounts as a medicine for blood fats — that is not the same as the small amount in food, and it can have side effects. On a label you may also see nicotinic acid or nicotinamide; those are the vitamin B3 family, not nicotine.

Too little niacin over a long time長期缺乏niacin can cause a serious illness called pellagra可能造成一種叫pellagra（癩皮病）的嚴重疾病; that is rare now where diets are mixed在飲食均衡的地方現在很罕見. Doctors sometimes use much larger amounts醫生有時候會用大量許多的劑量 as a medicine for blood fats當作治療血脂的藥物 — that is not the same as the small amount in food這跟食物裡的少量攝取不一樣, and it can have side effects而且可能有副作用. On a label you may also see標籤上你也可能看到 nicotinic acid or nicotinamidenicotinic acid（菸鹼酸）或nicotinamide（菸鹼醯胺）; those are the vitamin B3 family那些都是維生素B3家族, not nicotine不是尼古丁.