| What are the benefits? |
| Vitamin B1, also known as Thiamine, is essential for the breakdown and utilisation of carbohydrate. This ‘metabolism’ of carbohydrate helps to make energy available in the body. Vitamin B1 is also essential for blood formation, for proper digestion, and for the transmission of certain types of nerve signal. Because vitamin B1 is important in transmitting messages sent to and from the brain it plays an essential role in cognitive activity and certain brain functions. |
| What are the natural food sources? |
| Like most B vitamins, thiamine is found in all cereals. Vitamin B1 is also found in a wide range of foods including pork, potatoes, oranges, fish, cheese, peanuts, and red kidney beans. |
| How much do you need? |
| The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin B1 is 1.4 mg. Because vitamin B1 is a water-soluble vitamin, any excess is excreted by the body making it safe to take at relatively high doses. |
| Are you likely to be deficient? |
| Vitamin B1 deficiency is most commonly found in alcoholics or people with malabsorption conditions. Symptoms of deficiency include loss of appetite, weakness and tiredness, nervous irritability, insomnia, loss of weight, vague aches and pains, mental depression, constipation and heart and gastrointestinal problems. The functioning of the central nervous system is only affected when brain vitamin B1 levels decrease to 20% of normal. |
| Are you taking too much? |
| A long-term intake of up to 100 mg daily is not considered harmful. |
| Are there any interactions? |
| Alcohol or a high-carbohydrate diet increase requirements for vitamin B1. Antibiotics and oral contraceptives may decrease thiamine levels in the body. |
