What does thiamine do? The understanding nutrients series

We’re back with another edition of the understanding nutrients series! This series looks at the different nutrients in our foods and why we need them. They're all essential and play many roles. You can see the other nutrients I’ve covered here.

Today, we’re going to look at the vitamin B1, also known as thiamine. Thiamine is a water soluble vitamin which means it dissolves in water and isn’t stored in the body. We need to get thiamine from the foods we eat. And a healthy balanced diet is the best way to get enough.

Role of thiamine: 

Here are the main roles of thiamine:

Metabolism: vitamin B1 is crucial in carbohydrate metabolism. This means it helps us convert the carbohydrates in the food we eat into energy our cells can use. It does this by being a cofactor for an enzyme that’s essential in energy production. This means it helps to speed up the chemical reactions. Without thiamine, your body would struggle to produce energy, and this can have serious consequences. Thiamine also helps with fat and alcohol metabolism.

Muscles: thiamine also plays a role in muscle contraction and nerve signalling. This helps you move, breathe, and think. It also helps keep your nerves healthy and working well.

How much thiamine should we be having? 

Thiamine is a bit different in terms of how much we need, due to its role in releasing energy from the food we eat. So, the value for the amount of B1 we need is per 1000 calories.

Adults need 0.4mg per 1000 calories eaten. So, if you eat 2000 calories, you’ll need 0.8mg of thiamine a day.

For reference, a 100g pork chop has 0.8mg of thiamine.           

Thiamine is absorbed in your small intestine. Most people should be able to absorb it well, but people that have heavy alcohol use will have a reduced ability to absorb it. This is due to the damage alcohol does to your stomach lining and digestive tract.

Foods that are sources of thiamine: 

Foods like meat, eggs, seeds, and wholegrains are good sources of thiamine. In the UK, white flour is fortified with thiamine as the amount of naturally occurring thiamine is reduced in the processing of flour. A lot of cereals are also fortified with thiamine too. So this isn’t an exhaustive list but it’s to give you some ideas: 

• 100g of grilled beef has 0.15mg of vitamin B1
• 25g (a small handful) of sunflower seeds has 0.4mg of vitamin B1
• 100g of trout has 0.2mg of vitamin B1
• 100g of pinto beans has 0.23mg of vitamin B1
• 100g of lentils has 0.13mg of vitamin B1
• 30g of rice krispies (fortified with vitamins) has 0.27mg of vitamin B1

What happens if you don’t get enough thiamine?

You should be able to get all the thiamine you need from a balanced diet. But people that have heavy alcohol use, an unbalanced diet, or a malabsorption disorder are at risk of deficiency. People with chronic diarrhoea, undergoing dialysis, or have had bariatric surgery are also at risk.  

A deficiency in thiamine is called Beri Beri. There are two types: wet and dry.

Wet Beri Beri affects the heart and your blood vessels. It can lead to symptoms like shortness of breath when exercising, shortness of breath upon waking, swollen legs, and a fast heart rate. It’s called ‘wet’ as your blood vessels become weaker and so more fluid moves in. It can also lead to heart failure which is where your heart is unable to pump blood efficiently.

Dry Beri Beri affects your nervous system. It can lead to difficulty walking, numbness in hands and feet, loss of muscle function, confusion, and pain. This is due to your nerves becoming inflamed and damaged. It can also result in Wernicke’s encephalopathy or Korsakoff syndrome which is where your brain becomes damaged. These can lead to confusion, eye paralysis, uncoordinated movements, and amnesia.

A mild deficiency is treated with supplementation that you take orally. It can take a few weeks before you’ll start to feel better.  A more severe deficiency is treated with thiamine through an IV or injected into the muscle.

Key points:                                              

• Thiamine is vitamin B1 and is a water soluble vitamin.
• Thiamine plays a crucial role in carbohydrate metabolism and helps with muscle contraction.
• Adults need 0.4mg of thiamine per 1000 calories eaten.
• Sources of thiamine include: fortified foods, pork, grains, lentils, and beans.
• You should be able to get all the thiamine you need from a balanced diet. People that are alcoholics, have a unbalanced diet, or have certain health conditions are at risk of deficiency.
• A deficiency in thiamine is called Beri Beri and can have lots of unpleasant symptoms.

 

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful.

Bye for now! 👋

References:

Thiamine in metabolism: https://grantome.com/grant/NIH/K02-HL107447-01A1                

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/thiamine-vitamin-b1/about-thiamine/

Daily amount: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/743790/Dietary_Reference_Values_-_A_Guide__1991_.pdf

Sources: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-b1/

https://quadram.ac.uk/UKfoodcomposition/foods/pork-loin-chops-grilled-lean/

Alcohol and thiamine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6875731/

Deficiency: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33305487/