A type of vitamin B3 might treat chronic pain related to inflammation
Chronic pain can outlast inflammation, the usual driver of pain in the body – a study in mice suggests a vitamin supplement could help relieve it
A type of vitamin B3, called nicotinamide riboside, alleviates persistent pain in mice, suggesting that it may potentially treat chronic pain in humans as well.
Inflammation – the body’s first line of defence against injury and pathogens – is a main driver of pain. Yet, some people continue to experience pain even after inflammation has resolved.
To understand why, Niels Eijkelkamp at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and his colleagues analysed inflammation’s impact on mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells. Previous research has linked chronic pain to dysfunctional mitochondria, particularly those in specialised nerve cells, called sensory neurons, which detect changes in the environment.
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Even if these findings do translate to humans, they probably only apply to certain types of chronic pain, such as that of chronic inflammatory diseases, says Eijkelkamp. For instance, more than 20 per cent of people with rheumatoid arthritis – a chronic condition characterised by persistent joint inflammation – continue to have pain even with low levels of inflammation. As such, it would make sense to test these findings in that demographic first.
New Scientist article: https://archive.ph/DLzQb
Research Paper:
https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(23)00442-1
Too bad they didn’t test dirt cheap nicotinic acid too (though they did measure nicotinic acid)
Interesting too that carrageenan, a common food addititive (e407 iirc) apparently causes hyperalgia