Vitamin B1 Thiamine
TopForm products that contain Vitamin B1 Thiamine| Name | Amount Per Serving | Daily Value % |
| Men's Multivitamin | 3mg | 200% |
| Women's Multivitamin | 3mg | 200% |
| Prenatal Chocolate | 1mg | 67% |
| Calcium | .15mg | 10% |
Vitamin B1 Thiamine—What Does it Do and Why is it Important?
Vitamin B1 Thiamine was discovered and named in 1934, by Robert Runnel Williams, a US chemist. Thiamine was synthesized in 1936 by the same group with Robert Runnel Williams at the head. Yet, although Vitamin B1 Thiamine wasn’t discovered until 1934, the benefits of eating foods rich in Thiamine were known as far back as 2700 BC. Vitamin B1 Thiamine was the first of the water-soluble vitamins to be described by modern scientists.
Where Can a Person Get Vitamin B1 Thiamine?
Thiamine or thiamin, sometimes also called aneurin, is part of the Vitamin B complex. Thiamine is a water-soluble vitamin, whose phosphate derivatives are involved in many cellular processes. Thiamine is synthesized in fungi, plants, and bacteria. Humans must get enough Vitamin B1 Thiamine from foods or supplements or they will face serious health related problems. There is still research being done today to figure out why exactly a lack of Vitamin B1 Thiamine is leading to health related symptoms. There is also a call within the scientific community for more research in regards to thiamine metabolism and how it affects the body.
Thiamine can be found in a wide variety of foods at low concentrations. Pork and yeast are the two foods with the highest concentrations of thiamine. The most essential sources of Thiamine come from cereal grains, by virtue of their ubiquity. There are just so many grains that a person is able to get a sufficient supply of Thiamine when they are eating the carbohydrate portion of their diet. Whole grain food products contain much more Thiamine in comparison to processed foods. A good example of this is the difference in Thiamine between whole white bread (.55mg per 100 g) versus the amount of Thiamine in regular white bread (.06mg per 100 g).
Food which are also very rich in Vitamin B1 Thiamine include: eggs, liver (beef, pork, and chicken), oatmeal, flax, sunflower seeds, brown rice, whole grain rye, asparagus, kale, cauliflower, potatoes, and oranges. Another way that Vitamin B1 Thiamine is added to foods is through Thiamine hydrochloride. It is a food additive used to add brothy and meaty flavors to gravies and or soups.
What Does Vitamin B1 Thiamine Do?
As one of the eight Vitamin B complexes, Vitamin B1 Thiamine helps the body to convert food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose). This fuel is then burned in order to provide energy for the body. The other major job of the Vitamin B complex vitamins is to help metabolize fats and proteins. As mentioned above Vitamin B1 Thiamine is water-soluble, which means that the human body doesn’t store excess in the body.
Vitamin B1 Thiamine is thought to help the body as an anti-stress vitamin. The reason for this anti-stress result is due to the strength Vitamin B1 Thiamine adds to the immune system, and the improvement provided to the body to withstand stressful conditions.
The levels of Vitamin B1 Thiamine are important to be monitored by those who get most of their daily calories from sugars or alcohol. People who don’t get enough Thiamine and who are heavy drinkers will experience fatigue, irritability, depression, and abdominal discomfort.
It is also important for people to manage their Vitamin B1 Thiamine who are not getting enough carbohydrates in their body. Many of the more modern diets are based upon eating high amounts of protein and very little carbohydrates. A lack of carbohydrates can lead to a Vitamin B1 Thiamine deficiency, and there are serious health problems which can arise from such unhealthy dieting practices.
Recommended Dosage of Vitamin B1 Thiamine
In the majority of countries the recommended daily amount is 1.4 mg. There have been tests in some countries of volunteers taking higher dosages per day. Some tests involving volunteers taking 50 mg per day have claimed an increase in mental acuity. As of right now there is no data which supports a tolerable upper limit to the amount of Thiamine which should be taken in a single day. That doesn’t mean a person cannot suffer from taking too much Vitamin B1 Thiamine. Recent research has demonstrated that it is possible for some water-soluble vitamins to actually cause toxicity in certain people. Which means a person should still try to stay within the recommended daily amount of any vitamin or mineral.
What is the Best Way to Regulate the Amount of Vitamin B1 Thiamine in a Diet?—Take a Multivitamin
The best way to regulate Vitamin B1 Thiamine is through knowing what a person is eating. All nutritional information from foods should provide a person with the resources they need to maintain healthy levels of Vitamin B1 Thiamine. An easy way to get a sufficient and healthy supply of Thiamine is through the purchase and use of good multivitamins. Most good multivitamins are based upon Vitamin B complex vitamins. Finding a good gender specific vitamin will take away a lot of the guess work of taking Vitamin B. A person who isn’t abusing multivitamins or loading up on items high in Vitamin B1 Thiamine shouldn’t have to worry about taking too much, but proper research and monitoring should accompany any supplement or mineral use.
Click to see known causes of Vitamin B1 Thiamine Deficiency.
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