Vitamin B1 - thiamine

Thiamine is classified as a water-soluble B vitamin. Casimir Funk is considered the discoverer of thiamine, who isolated thiamine from rice bran as early as the beginning of the 20th century. The first references to vitamin B1 can already be found in publications from the 19th century, when it was noted that animals fed polished rice had the same symptoms as those suffering from beri-beri.

Thiamine - functions

Vitamin B1 plays a number of important functions in the body. First and foremost, it is involved in so-called cellular respiration processes. Thiamine plays an important role in the proper functioning of the nervous system, supports the heart and cardiovascular system. Thiamine has been proven to have antioxidant properties and is involved in the synthesis of nucleotides. The human body does not synthesise vitamin B1, hence it is necessary to supply it with food.

Effects of deficiency

Thiamine deficiencies can result from an unbalanced diet, as well as excessive physical and mental exertion, drinking too much alcohol, coffee and tea, or prolonged stress. Serious deficiency symptoms include:

nerve palsy,
muscular atrophy of the limbs,
nystagmus,
memory disorders,
impaired concentration,
heart problems,
digestive disorders such as diarrhoea, vomiting, appetite problems,
chronic fatigue.

Beri-beri disease - types of disease

There are three types of Ber i-beri disease - dry, wet and infantile. In the dry type, symptoms from the nervous system are observed, such as weakness, muscle paralysis, tingling in the feet and hands, leg and headaches, memory and concentration disorders, anxiety, depression and even coma. In the case of the so-called wet type, symptoms such as accelerated heartbeat, drop in blood pressure, swelling of the legs, lethargy, weight loss, shortness of breath, fever, pleural effusion appear. In the case of the infantile type, symptoms similar to the wet type appear, with the additional possibility of encephalitis, peripheral nerve problems, heart failure or even voicelessness (so-called aphonia).

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How is Beri-beri disease treated?

Diagnosis plays a key role - a doctor suspecting avitaminosis orders a blood test to determine the thiamine concentration in the blood. On the basis of the test results, it is possible to assess the extent of the vitamin deficiency and thus: to select an appropriate treatment. Usually intramuscular or oral preparations are used.

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Products in which thiamine is found

Most thiamine is found in liver, asparagus, black beans, lentils, tenderloin and oatmeal. Buckwheat groats, millet or wheat bran contain about 0.5-1 mg thiamine/100 g. The least amount of the vitamin is found in milk, yoghurt, ripened and cottage cheese and fruit.

Recommended intake

The daily recommended intake of vitamin B1 is as follows:

children from 1. to 3. years of age - 0.5 mg,
children from 4 to 6 years of age - 0.6 mg,
children from 7. to 9. years of age - 0.9 mg,
children up to 12 years of age - 1 mg,
adolescents up to 18 years of age - 1.1 mg,
men - 1.3 mg,
women - 1.1 mg,
pregnant women - 1.4 mg,
lactating women - 1.5 mg.

Thiamine supplementation in times of deficiency plays an extremely important role. Thiamine is involved in a number of processes in the body and plays an important role in many metabolic pathways, hence its deficiency can cause many serious conditions. If in doubt, it is best to consult a doctor, who will order tests to determine the concentration of the vitamin in the body. In the event of a deficiency, an appropriate supplementation will be ordered.

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Beri-beri disease and its consequences

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