Evidence supporting the use of: Vitamin B3 (mixed)
For the health condition: Migraine

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 2

Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, has some scientific evidence suggesting a potential role in migraine treatment, but the overall strength and quality of the evidence is low. Several small clinical studies and case reports from the 1940s to 1970s explored the use of niacin for migraine, with mixed results. Some patients experienced relief from migraine attacks, possibly due to niacin's vasodilatory effects—niacin can cause blood vessels to widen, leading to a "flushing" reaction that some researchers hypothesized might counteract the constriction phase in some migraine types. However, larger, well-controlled modern clinical trials are lacking. A few more recent reviews and guidelines mention niacin as a possible treatment, usually in the context of historical or anecdotal use rather than strong evidence.

The American Headache Society and other major headache organizations do not currently recommend niacin as a standard migraine therapy due to insufficient evidence. The most widely studied B vitamin for migraine is riboflavin (B2), not niacin (B3). Thus, while there is a historical and limited scientific basis for considering niacin in migraine management, the evidence is not robust, and more research is needed to clarify its efficacy and safety.

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