Vitamin Supplements

Thiamin, the first of the B vitamins to be discovered, was initially isolated in the mid-1920s. Today we know that thiamin plays an important part in changing energy stored in carbohydrates to a form that our bodies can use. Thiamin is also necessary for the nervous system to function properly, and it may be involved with producing nerve transmitters.

Signs of Thiamin Deficiency

The first symptoms of a thiamin deficiency can include constipation, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Probably the best-known thiamin deficiency disorder—a disease called beriberi—occurs in the most severe cases of deprivation.

Beriberi was rampant in parts of Asia in the 19th century, afflicting rice-consuming people at a time when mills produced highly polished, refined rice. This processing removed the thiamin-rich husks, and the diets and health of millions of people suffered. Symptoms of beriberi vary depending on age, duration of the deficiency, and other factors, but among the most common signs are loss of muscle strength, leg spasms or paralysis, mental confusion, and depression.

While beriberi has been reported in the United States, it is rare in this country. Thiamin supplements in many cereals and the wide availability of other thiamin-containing foods have kept out the disease here. Even so, beriberi is sometimes seen in alcoholics, because their diets are poor and because alcohol interferes with thiamin absorption.

Who’s at Risk for Thiamin Deficiency?

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you have an above-average risk of developing a thiamin deficiency.

• Do you have diabetes? This condition can increase the amount of thiamin excreted in the urine.
• Do you have a disorder that increases your metabolic rate? Such disorders—including infections, fevers, hyperactivity, and hyperthyroidism—increase thiamin requirements.
• Do you consume large amounts of alcohol? Alcohol interferes with the absorption of thiamin, and alcoholics tend to have poor diets that may be deficient in thiamin.
• Do you eat large amounts of raw fish? An enzyme called thiaminase, found in raw fish, inactivates thiamin; cooking, however, destroys this enzyme.
• Do you consume large amounts of carbohydrates? Your body needs thiamin to metabolize carbohydrates. The more carbohydrates you consume, therefore, the more thiamin you require.
• Are you pregnant or breast-feeding? According to the RDAs, women should take an additional .4 mg of thiamin per day during pregnancy to accommodate for their own increased needs and for the growth of the fetus. Women who are breast-feeding should take an additional .5 mg of thiamin per day to compensate for the amount of the vitamin lost in breast milk.

Thiamin Toxicity

Even with large oral doses of thiamin, no toxic effects have been reported. High doses administered intravenously, however, have produced severe allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock).

Optimal Daily Thiamin Allowance

We believe that the optimal intake of thiamin, based on its role in the body, is 1.5 mg per day. This dose approximates the highest RDA. No one should require more thiamin than this.

Thiamin Food Sources

Thiamin is present in many foods. Some of the best sources include whole-grain or enriched breads and cereals, brewer’s yeast, liver and other organ meats, lean cuts of pork, peas, beans, and nuts and seeds.

Heat or immersion of foods in water during cooking can destroy thiamin. To retain this water-soluble vitamin, cook thiamin-containing foods in only small amounts of water.

How Much Thiamin Are You Getting?

Use the information in this section and in similar sections for the other B vitamins to calculate the amount of a particular vitamin you are getting in your diet. Following is a list of common food sources of the vitamin (thiamin, in this case), arranged according to the percentage of our Optimal Daily Allowance of the vitamin contained in them.

To determine your average daily intake of thiamin, start by keeping an accurate food diary for three or four days. Write down exactly what you eat and drink, together with an estimate of the serving size. Find the food item on the chart, and determine the percentage of the ODA that it provides. Then add up all these percentages to see if you reach 100 percent each day.

If a particular item in your meals is missing from the chart, use the nutritional information on the food packaging. Most packaged foods are required to list their vitamin contents on the label.

After you’ve determined how much of the vitamin you are obtaining from your diet each day, you can calculate whether you need to take supplements to reach the ODA. Let’s say that you determine that you are getting 60 percent of your thiamin target through diet alone. You are consuming 0.9 mg of thiamin in your diet (60 percent x 1.5 mg = 0.9 mg). To make up the difference, we would advise you to supplement your diet with 0.6 mg of thiamin in tablet form (1.5 mg – 0.9 mg = 0.6 mg). Most multivitamins contain at least the ODA for thiamin, and often more-so if you take a multivitamin tablet each day, you’re probably getting all the extra thiamin you need without any real risk.

How much Thiamin do you need to achieve optimal health?

We recommend that you consume 1.5 mg of thiamin per day.

What special circumstances might affect the amount of Thiamin you need to take?

If you have diabetes or a metabolic disorder, eat lots of carbohydrates or raw fish, consume large amounts of alcohol, or are pregnant or breast-feeding, you need to be particularly conscientious about consuming the ODA for thiamin.

Is it possible to consume the optimal amount of Thiamin through diet alone?

Many people in the United States come close to reaching or actually do reach the ODA for thiamin solely through diet. If you are not one of these people, you can get supplemental thiamin easily as part of multivitamin or B-complex preparations.

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