Early symptoms of thiamin deficiency are vague. They include fatigue, irritability, poor memory, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, abdominal discomfort, and weight loss. Eventually, a severe thiamin deficiency (beriberi) may develop, characterized by nerve, heart, and brain abnormalities.
A diet consisting mainly of white flour, white sugar, and other highly processed carbohydrates can cause thiamin deficiency. At first, people have vague symptoms such as fatigue and irritability, but a severe deficiency (beriberi) can affect the nerves, muscles, heart, and brain.
Thiamin deficiency can cause loss of weight and appetite, confusion, memory loss, muscle weakness, and heart problems. Severe thiamin deficiency leads to a disease called beriberi with the added symptoms of tingling and numbness in the feet and hands, loss of muscle, and poor reflexes.
With prolonged thiamine deficiency, patients may endorse loss of sensation in the extremities, symptoms of heart failure including swelling of the hands or feet, chest pain related to demand ischemia, or feelings of vertigo, double vision, and memory loss.
Pork, fish, and seafood are good or high sources of thiamin. Beef, beans, and seeds contain thiamin.
Early signs of thiamine deficiency include peripheral neuropathies in adults and adolescents and fussiness and irritability in infants. Weakness, nystagmus, ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and cognitive impairment accompany progression of the disease. Infants may be noted to have a lack of tone.
Role of thiamine in brain glucose metabolism for energy utilization and neurotransmitter synthesis. Like in other tissues, glucose metabolism in the brain uses thiamine-dependent enzymes at critical steps. The brain uses ten times its body mass in glucose compared to the whole body.
Your brain, heart, and other tissues and organs suffer from low thiamine levels. High concentrations of thiamine are normally found in skeletal muscles and in the heart, liver, kidneys and brain. Thiamin deficiency causes degeneration of peripheral nerves and parts of the brain, including the thalamus and cerebellum.
Conditions of high pH, elevated temperatures, and the presence of sulfites (Figure 2), which are used as preservatives of meat products, are common causes of thiamine loss. Sulfiting agents used for food preservation include bisulfites, sulfites, metabisulfites, and sulfur dioxide.
The biologically active form of the vitamin, thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), is best measured in whole blood and is not found in measurable concentration in plasma. Plasma thiamine concentration reflects recent intake rather than body stores; therefore, whole blood is the preferred specimen for thiamine assessment.
Thiamine is mostly concentrated in the skeletal muscles. Other organs in which it is found are the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys.
Thiamine deficiency is particularly important because it can exacerbate many of the other processes by which alcohol induces brain injury, as described in other articles in this issue of Alcohol Research & Health.
In suspected cases of thiamine deficiency, prompt administration of parenteral thiamine is indicated. The recommended dose is 50 mg given intravenously or intramuscularly for several days. The duration of therapy depends on the symptoms, and therapy is indicated until all symptoms have disappeared.
Good sources of thiamin
Thiamin is found in many types of food. Good sources include: peas. some fresh fruits (such as bananas and oranges)
Here are the vitamins and minerals you're getting when you eat one medium-sized banana, along with the percentage of your recommended daily intake: Vitamin C, 11% Vitamin E, 1% Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), 3%
A small amount of thiamine is available in eggs, so pair them with other good sources such as milk, oats, and whole grains to contribute to adequate intake levels. For a healthy dose of thiamine try the below creative twist on a summer favorite.
Thiamine affects nerve function, and plays a role in the creation of energy and DNA. A study in Vietnam did appear to link Thiamine intake to an improvement in anxiety levels for those with generalized anxiety disorder.
Low levels of thiamine are associated with depression. In one study of elderly Chinese adults, poor thiamine levels were associated with a higher risk of depression.
In conjunction with whole blood or erythrocyte transketolase activity preloading and postloading, a thiamine loading test is the best indicator of thiamine deficiency. An increase of more than 15% in enzyme activity is a definitive marker of deficiency.
Additionally, certain food products such as tea, coffee, raw fish, and shellfish contain thiaminases - enzymes that destroy thiamine. Thiamine deficiency can affect the cardiovascular, nervous, and immune systems, as commonly seen in wet beriberi, dry beriberi, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Key Points. The risk of thiamin deficiency is increased in people who subsist on highly refined carbohydrates such as polished rice and white flour (as occurs in countries with high rates of food insecurity) or people with alcohol use disorder.
Raw Pistachios (In Shell)
These tasty nuts contain more thiamine (vitamin B1) than 1/2 cup serving of cooked rice. Plus they are an excellent source of protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.