Vitamin B3 as an example of how food is medicine
Niacin was long regarded as a common component of the diet, until it was discovered that a deficiency of it causes skin, digestive and mental health problems known as pellagra. Dr Goldberger proved that the cause of this disease was not an infection, but a diet lacking in vitamin B3. He carried out an experiment on himself and his colleagues, who consumed only a poor diet and began to show symptoms of pellagra. However, when they added foods rich in niacin to their diet, the symptoms disappeared. In 1937, niacin was isolated from the liver, confirming its importance and nutritional value.
