Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) is the first vitamin in group B, which plays an important role in converting nutrients from food into energy for use in cells. Vitamin B1 deficiency can occur in subjects who do not get enough from food or have disorders in the ability to absorb Vitamin B1.

 

1. Roles of Vitamin B1:

It participates in glucose and energy metabolism. When vitamin B1 is lacking, pyruvic acid will accumulate in the body, causing toxicity to the nervous system. Therefore, the need for vitamin B1 is proportional to energy needs.

Thiamine deficiency causes loss of appetite, fatigue, jitters and constipation.

It is also involved in the transmission of nerve impulses: Thiamine participates in regulating the transmission of nerve impulses, stimulating mental activity and memory.

2. What diseases does Vitamin B1 deficiency cause?

In reality today, for people with normal health, Thiamine deficiency is very rare. This condition is more common in people with absorption disorders or reduced ability to absorb Vitamin B1 due to side effects of drugs, diseases, etc.

Prolonged deficiency can cause many dangerous health diseases, two common diseases are:

2.1. Beriberi

Beriberi disease includes two types: wet beriberi and dry beriberi. Wet beriberi due to Thiamine deficiency affects the circulatory and cardiovascular systems, sometimes even causing heart failure. Dry beriberi damages nerves and affects muscle activity.

Beriberi disease caused by Thiamine deficiency, if not detected and treated early, can cause permanent nerve damage and even death.

2.2. Wernicke

Serious Thiamine deficiency causes personality disorders, memory loss, depression, mental disorders, etc.
For patients with this disease, high doses of Thiamine will be supplemented orally combined with a balanced diet for recovery.

3. Signs of Vitamin B1 deficiency

Thiamine participates in many important processes in the body, ensuring vital activities as well as growth and development. Therefore, there are many signs of deficiency as follows:

3.1. Tired body

Thiamine deficiency causes the body to become tired gradually (mild decrease in energy) or suddenly (extreme exhaustion) depending on the level of deficiency. However, this is not a non-specific sign because there are many causes that can cause this condition.

Thiamine participates in converting carbohydrates, proteins, fats, etc. into ATP – the molecule that carries energy to cells. Therefore, the deficiency causes metabolic disorders, cells are not provided with enough energy, leading to fatigue and loss of strength.

3.2. Loss of appetite

Vitamin B1 deficiency often causes loss of appetite because this micronutrient participates in regulating the feeling of fullness in the human satiety center. This condition is very dangerous, the body feels full even after not eating for a long time, leading to nutritional deficiency and exhaustion.

3.3. Mental instability

Mental instability, frequent irritability, agitation, sadness or frustration are one of the first signs of Thiamine deficiency in the body. The more severe the level of Thiamine deficiency and the longer it lasts, the more severe these mental symptoms become.

3.4. Reflective ability

The deficiency also affects the activity of motor nerves, affecting reflexes. A common condition is reduced or absent tendon reflexes in the biceps tendon, quadriceps tendon, Achilles tendon, etc. When this condition lasts, it will affect your ability to move.

3.5. Myasthenia gravis

Muscle weakness is a very common condition, so it is difficult to determine whether the cause is Thiamine deficiency or other medical disorders. However, this sign is still worth evaluating when combined with many other symptoms. Vitamin B1 deficiency often causes prolonged muscle weakness of unknown cause

3.6. Decreased vision

Thiamin deficiency is one of the causes of vision loss accompanied by a feeling of swelling, pain, and discomfort in the eyes. If Thiamine is not supplemented and symptoms are treated promptly, the patient can become completely blind. In these cases, if the cause of Vitamin B1 deficiency is detected early, supplementation can significantly improve this condition.

3.7. Shortness of breath

Thiamine participates in many heart processes, so Vitamin B1 deficiency will lead to impaired heart function with symptoms of shortness of breath. This symptom will be worse with strenuous work. If the disease progresses, the patient may face heart failure, reduced blood pumping, fluid accumulation in the lungs, etc.

3.8. Reduced cognition

This condition often occurs in people who have poor or no absorption of Vitamin B1, causing decreased consciousness, delirium, and reduced or lost ability to concentrate. This can also be a sign of  Wernicke-Korsakoff neurological syndrome caused by Thiamine deficiency.

3.9. Changes in heart rate

Heart rate is a simple measure of heart health, it is affected by many factors, including Thiamine deficiency. In fact, Thiamine deficiency often causes the heart rate to be slower than normal, thereby causing increased feelings of fatigue, dizziness, and a high risk of fainting.

3.10. Numbness and pain in legs and arms

Symptoms of paresthesia often cause unusual stinging, burning, and tingling sensations like pins and needles in the upper limbs. The cause is damage to the peripheral nerves to these organs.

4. Causes of Vitamin B1 deficiency: 

– The first reason to mention is that people use over-milled rice and eat less meat and fish because vitamin B1 is found in the bran and germ of cereals and in beans and peas. , lean meat.

– People addicted to alcohol, on hemodialysis or on long-term intravenous nutrition.

– Alcoholism.

– People with liver disease.

– People who are using medication or have metabolic disorders that reduce the absorption of Vitamin B1.

– Exercising or exercising too much causes the body to use a lot of Vitamin B1 but the diet does not provide enough.

– Diabetes or use of diuretics increases the excretion of Vitamin B1.

– Pregnant women have an increased need for Vitamin B1 in particular and B vitamins in general, but their diet does not provide enough.

– Consuming many foods reduces the ability to absorb Vitamin B1 such as: tea, raw seafood, coffee,…

5. Vitamin B1 supplements: 

Do not use milled rice that is too thoroughly milled, and do not wash the rice too many times before cooking.

Use a variety of beans and lean meats.

Supplement as directed by your doctor.

Foods that effectively supplement Vitamin B1

The food source with the most vitamin B1 is whole grains, however humans can absorb this nutrient because Thiamine is concentrated in the seed coat and germ. The milling and cleaning of these grains has caused most of the vitamins to be lost. In addition, you can supplement this vitamin from many other foods such as:

5.1. Lean pork

Lean pork can meet up to 74% of the body’s needs in one serving. Moreover, this is a familiar food for each of us, easy to prepare into many dishes and easy to buy. Therefore, most of the body’s vitamin B1 comes from this food source, but you should not eat too much meat every day to ensure nutritional balance.

5.2. Spinach

Spinach is considered a nutritious vegetable with very high nutrient content, including vitamin B1. A bunch of spinach provides up to 1.5mg of nutritional value per day, which also meets the required amount of Thiamine.

Therefore, you can prepare many dishes in your daily menu or grind to make drinking water.

5.3. Bread

You can eat toast, rye bread or muffins for breakfast or as a snack, making it one of the familiar vitamin B1 supplements to stimulate your taste buds.

5.4. Button mushroom

This is a favorite food for many girls because its skin care effect is very good, it also provides many healthy vitamins, including vitamin B3.

5.5. Kinds of bean

Seeds and legumes are not only delicious and easy to eat food ingredients but also contain large amounts of vitamin B1 to provide for the body. You can use black beans, green beans, red beans, green beans, soybeans,… to change your taste every day.

Scientific research has shown that one cup of green beans provides up to 0.368mg of nutritional value, equivalent to 26% of the body’s needs.

5.6. Nuts and seeds

Certainly eating nuts for snacks is a habit of many people, this is also a way to supplement the body with vitamin B1 every day.

Thiamine content in some nuts is as follows:

– 10g of sesame seeds contains about 0.142 mg

– 28g of pistachios contain up to 0.247mg

– 14.3g flax seeds provide 0.155mg

– ¼ cup of sunflower seeds contains 0.17mg

5.7. Fish

Fish is a good source of vitamin B1 for health, fish that contain a lot of this micronutrient include: salmon, mackerel, and tuna. In particular, in addition to Thiamine, salmon also contains a lot of Niacin, vitamin B2, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, rich in Omega-3, low in mercury which is good for health.

 

Source: Báo Sức khỏe và Đời sống.

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