Vitamin B1 - thiamine tablets, Deficiency due to thiamin
Vitamin B1 is a water soluble vitamin that readily enters and exits the body daily so it must be taken internally on a daily basis. Vitamin B1 is a crystalline, yellow-white, water-soluble compound that is heat and alkali reactive when placed in solution. Thiamin helps maintain a normal metabolism and helps burn carbohydrates. Vitamin B1 is found in most whole grains.
Vitamin B1 is a group of water-soluble vitamins that participates in many of the chemical reactions in the body. It is also called thiamine, thiamin and aneurin. Thiamin, in the form of thiamin pyrophosphate, plays an essential role as a cofactor in key reactions in carbohydrate metabolism. It is also involved in the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids and may have non-coenzyme (non-cofactor) roles in excitable cells.
Can You Have Too Much or Too Little?
It’s pretty rare in the United States for a person to be deficient in this vitamin. A lack of it can cause beriberi, a condition that involves confusion, muscle wasting, nerve problems and a rapid heartbeat. It’s usually only seen in the United States in babies who are fed formula that isn’t supplemented with Vitamin B1 or in people who drink large amounts of alcohol. People who drink heavily should talk to their doctors about how to quit drinking and whether they need vitamin B1 supplements.
What are thiamine tablets?
THIAMINE (Vitamin B1) is a naturally occurring vitamin found in yeast, beans, peas, nuts, pork, and beef. Thiamine treats beriberi caused by vitamin B1 deficiency. Symptoms of beriberi include loss of appetite, constipation, muscle weakness, pain or tingling in the arms or legs, and swelling of the feet or lower legs. Thiamine deficiency can be caused by poor diet, alcoholism, cirrhosis, and intestinal diseases. Generic thiamine tablets are available.
Benefits of vitamin B1
Beriberi
The most important use of thiamine is in the treatment of beriberi, a condition caused by a deficiency of thiamine in the diet. Symptoms include swelling, tingling or burning sensation in the hands and feet, confusion, difficulty breathing (from fluid in the lungs), and uncontrolled eye movements (called nystagmus).
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a brain disorder caused by thiamine deficiency. Replacing thiamine alleviates the symptoms of this syndrome.
Deficiency due to thiamine
Systemic thiamin deficiency can lead to myriad problems including neurodegeneration, wasting and death. A lack of thiamin can be caused by malnutrition, alcoholism, a diet high in thiaminase-rich foods (raw freshwater fish, raw shellfish, ferns) and/or foods high in anti-thiamine factors (tea, coffee, betel nuts).
Well-known syndromes caused by thiamin deficiency include Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and beriberi, diseases also common with chronic alcoholism.
Polioencephalomalacia (PEM), is the most common thiamin deficiency disorder in young ruminant and nonruminant animals. Symptoms of PEM include a profuse, but transient diarrhea, listlessness, circling movements, star gazing or opisthotonus (head drawn back over neck), and muscle tremors.
