Vitamin B3 (niacin)
Vitamin B3, or niacin, reaches its highest value in our database in raw tuna at 18.8 mg NE per 100 grams, with liver at 17 mg NE and anchovies at 14 mg NE. The EU NRV sets the daily value at 16 mg NE. NE means niacin equivalents, because the body also makes niacin itself from tryptophan.
Niacin in its authorised wordings
Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 lists for niacin, among others: "niacin contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism", "niacin contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue" and "niacin contributes to the maintenance of normal skin". We quote those sentences as written. What you read in web shops about cholesterol or circulation belongs to high, pharmacological doses and not to niacin from food; hiding that difference would make the conversation dishonest from the start.
The richest sources, per 100 grams
At the top: raw tuna at 18.8 mg NE, liver at 17 mg NE, anchovies in oil at 14 mg NE, raw chicken breast at 13.7 mg NE and wheat bran at 13.6 mg NE. A single 150-gram serving of tuna or chicken clears the reference intake on its own. What the list shows is that lean meat and fish do the heaviest lifting here — the very products you already draw protein from, which makes it practically easy.
16 mg NE a day, and why that E is there
The reference is 16 mg NE per day (EU NRV). The NE suffix, niacin equivalents, matters here: the body can synthesise niacin from the amino acid tryptophan, and that internal production is counted in the figure. Anyone eating plenty of protein therefore gets there along two routes at once. For someone sitting at 150 grams of protein a day, a low niacin intake is arithmetically hard to reach.
When supply gets tight
Intake tracks protein intake in practice. A pattern that runs very low in meat, fish, pulses and wholegrain cereals all at once delivers fewer niacin equivalents, and that is usually a broader issue than this one vitamin. We make no statement about your values. If you notice something you cannot place, blood work through your GP is the route, and it is fast and concrete.
Why we rarely point at a jar here
We have no jar to sell and take no position on brands. With niacin there is the added point that standalone products at high doses can produce a visible skin response, one more reason not to treat this as a loose pill without a doctor involved. Our route runs over the plate: once the day's protein structure stands — one source at every meal — this vitamin sorts itself out, and that is exactly what we lock down in the first weeks of a programme.
How we compile this list
We sort every row in the DCRAFT food database on the measured value per 100 grams and take the top of that list. Rows recorded per piece, per slice or per portion do not count, because a value per piece cannot be compared with a value per 100 grams. Products listed under a brand name are left out: their composition changes outside our control, and a ranking resting on it ages without us noticing. Where several products carry precisely the same value, it comes from one shared row in our source data and we name one product from that group. We set this rule out here because a ranking without a visible selection rule is an opinion rather than a measurement.
Frequently asked questions
Which foods contain the most vitamin B3?
Raw tuna leads at 18.8 mg NE per 100 grams, with liver at 17 mg NE and anchovies in oil at 14 mg NE.
How much niacin per day?
As a daily reference the EU NRV names 16 mg NE. A single 150-gram serving of chicken or tuna already reaches it.
What does mg NE mean?
NE stands for niacin equivalents. The body also makes niacin from the amino acid tryptophan, and that conversion is counted inside this unit.
Do you get enough niacin on a high-protein diet?
Almost always, yes. Because tryptophan from protein counts as niacin equivalents, intake rises with your protein intake. If in doubt, have your GP check it.
Sources
- DCRAFT food database — KILLER COACH ENGINE V2.3 workbook (accessed 26 August 2026)
- EU NRV — Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII (accessed 26 August 2026)
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (accessed 26 August 2026)
Please note: This is general information about nutrition, not medical advice. If you have symptoms or suspect a deficiency, discuss it with your doctor. We do not sell supplements and have no commercial interest in any brand.
Last updated: .
Written by Dennis, founder of Dcraft Of Fitness.