Vitamin B1 Thiamine Deficiency
Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiencies can be very hazardous to the human body. Vitamin B1 Thiamine derivatives and Vitamin B1 Thiamine-dependent enzymes make up parts of all cells in the human body. A Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency will actually affect the entire body; however, one would think that it would be more harmful to the entire body over any particular part of the body. Yet, Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiencies seem to really target the central nervous system and the heart in particular. The reason for Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiencies in these systems is due to their high oxidative metabolism.
Common Causes and Symptoms of Vitamin B1 Thiamine Deficiency
Some common symptoms of Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency include: severe fatigue of the eyes, problems including neurodegenertion, wasting away of muscle, and possible death. Common causes of Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiencies include malnutrition, diets which are high in Thiaminase rich foods, chronic diseases, and foods which are high in anti-Thiamine factors.
Malnutrition is very common in sub-first world countries. Poverty is the major cause of people simply not having enough food to complete a sufficient healthy diet. Even people who are better off in some third world countries don’t have the resources even available to purchase to avoid Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency. In developed nations the major cause of Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency comes from extreme weight loss diets. Some people will starve themselves, or simply limit the types of foods which they are putting into their body. Foods which are high in Thiaminase will also limit the amount of Thiamine which a person has in their body. Thiaminase is found in raw freshwater fish, raw shell fish, and ferns. Thiaminase will break down the Thiamine in the body, and by breaking it down it will prevent the body from metabolizing the Vitamin B1 Thiamine in the body. Chronic Diseases will affect Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency as well. Diseases like HIV-AIDS, alcoholism, gastrointestinal diseases, and persistent vomiting will limit the total Vitamin B1 Thiamine in the human body.
The two major syndromes which are developed from a Vitamin B1 Thiamine are Beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome—these diseases are also common with chronic alcoholism.
Beriberi
Beriberi comes in three different forms Dry Beriberi, Wet Beriberi, and Infantile Beriberi. All are disorders which are neurological and cardiovascular in nature. Dry Beriberi’s major symptom is peripheral neuropathy consisting of symmetric impairment of reflex, motor, and sensory functions. One of the major complaints of Dry Beriberi suffers is tenderness in the calf muscle. Wet Beriberi has the symptoms of muscular wasting, edema, cardiomegaly, tachycardia, mental confusion, and congestive heart failure. All of these symptoms are in addition to peripheral neuropathy. Infinatile Beriberi normally will occur to infants when mother’s who are breast feeding are Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficient—normally who don’t show the signs of Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency when they are breast feeding. The infants may manifest in three ways pseudomeningitic, cardiac, and apohonc. Cardiac Berberi will normally cause the infants to have a loud piercing cry, tachycardia, and vomiting. If these symptoms are present then convulsions are very common as well. Infants with Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency can suffer death if Thiamine is not promptly administered.
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is the most common form of Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency in the developed world countries. This is due to the high rate of Wernicke-Korsakoff among alcoholic individuals. Alcoholics can have Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiencies for some of the following reasons: decreased uptake of Vitamin B1 Thiamine from the GI tract—active transport of Vitamin B1 Thiamine into entrecotes is disturbed, liver Vitamin B1 Thiamine stores are reduced due to fibrosis, impaired Vitamin B1 Thiamine utilization—magnesium is also deficient due to chronic alcohol consumption, thereby limiting the effectiveness of the Vitamin B1 Thiamine reaching the cells, inadequate nutritional intake—heavy drinkers don’t have a proper diet rich enough with Vitamin B1 Thiamine, and Ethanol inhibits Vitamin B1 Thiamine transport in gastrointestinal systems.
Korsakoff Psychosis occurs when an alcoholic is suffering from long term Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiencies due to Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. Korsakoff Psychosis consists of deterioration of brain functions in patients with Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. Symptoms of Korsakoff Psychosis are retrograde and anterograde amnesia, impairment of conceptual functions, decreased initiative, and decreased spontaneity.
It is important for a chronic alcoholic to get treatment as soon as possible. The symptoms of both Korsakoff Psychosis and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome are both reversible, but only if the person suffering from the disorder acts to improve their health. This means improvement in the nutrition of their overall diet, and the elimination of alcohol consumption. Some of the symptoms linked to Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency are reversed in most patients—especially the poor brain performance; however, in some sever cases of Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome will leave people will serious and permanent damage.
Preventative Steps to Avoid Vitamin B1 Thiamine Deficiency
A person needs to look at their diet to make sure that they are getting the proper amounts of Vitamin B1 Thiamine and other Vitamin B complex vitamin in their daily diets. Vitamin B1 Thiamine like other Vitamin B complex vitamins are water soluble so it is difficult for the body to store up a large supply. This means that people who are heavy drinkers or have some other indicators of Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency really need to focus on getting the proper amount of Vitamin B1 Thiamine in the diet.
One of the best, safest, and easiest ways to make sure a person is getting enough Vitamin B1 Thiamine is by taking a daily multivitamin—especially a multivitamin which is tailored to be gender specific. A daily multivitamin will fill in many of the cracks which people have in unhealthy diets and allow for greater overall health.
Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency might be rarer in developed countries, but it still affects many people. Engaging in a healthier lifestyle, supplementing diets with multivitamins, and discontinuing unhealthy habits will all lead to a better healthier life. If you think that you have Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency contact your health care professional.
