- All B vitamins are water-soluble. They help to convert carbohydrates, fats, and protein into energy, or glucose.
- B vitamins are necessary for keeping the liver, skin, hair, and eyes healthy. They also play a role in the nervous system, and they are needed for good brain function.
- The B vitamins are sometimes called anti-stress vitamins, because they boost the body’s immune system in times of stress.
- Vitamin B1, or thiamin, helps prevent complications in the nervous system, brain, muscles, heart, stomach, and intestines.
- It is also involved in the flow of electrolytes into and out of muscle and nerve cells.
- It helps prevent diseases such as beriberi, which involves disorders of the heart, nerves, and digestive system.
Foods
- Liver
- Fish – Salmon
- Black beans
- Green Peas
- Tofu
- Brown Rice
- Beef
- Pork
- Outer layers and germ of cereals
- Whole Grains
- Lentils
- Nuts
- Eggs
- Cauliflower
Supplementation:
- Thiamine is taken for conditions related to low levels of thiamine, including beriberi and inflammation of the nerves (neuritis) associated with pellagra or pregnancy.
- Thiamine is also used for digestive problems including poor appetite, ulcerative colitis, and ongoing diarrhea.
- Thiamine is also used for AIDS and boosting the immune system, diabetic pain, heart disease, alcoholism, aging, a type of brain damage called cerebellar syndrome, canker sores, vision problems such as cataracts and glaucoma, motion sickness, and improving athletic performance.
- Other uses include preventing cervical cancer and progression of kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.
- Some people use thiamine for maintaining a positive mental attitude; enhancing learning abilities; increasing energy; fighting stress; and preventing memory loss, including Alzheimer’s disease.
- Healthcare providers give thiamine shots for a memory disorder called Wernicke’s encephalopathy syndrome, other thiamine deficiency syndromes in critically ill people, alcohol withdrawal, and coma.
*Do read the Disclaimer
References:
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): Foods, benefits, and deficiency symptoms (medicalnewstoday.com)
Thiamine: Side Effects, Dosages, Treatment, Interactions, Warnings (rxlist.com)
11 Signs and Symptoms of Thiamine (Vitamin B1) Deficiency (healthline.com)