Vitamin B3 may protect against UV-induced skin cancer: study

A form of vitamin B3 may offer protection from non-melanoma skin cancers, a new study by Italian researchers has found.

Presented at the meeting of European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, the study claims that a form of vitamin B3 may protect skin cells from the harmful UV rays, considered to pose cancer risks.

The research states that vitamin B3, which is also called nicotinic acid or niacinamide, plays a crucial role in DNA repair and cell signalling and is found in every day food items.

For the study, researchers isolated cells from non-melanoma skin cancer patients, which were then treated with three different concentrations of NAM, a form of vitamin B3.

The results concluded that pre-treatment with NAM protected the cells from DNA damage and oxidative stress caused by UV rays. However, they warned that the protection offered by Vitamin B3 is short-lived so it should be consumed 24-48 hrs before exposing oneself to the sun.