Vitamin B1

Vitamin B1, is also called thiamine. It is a collective term for various compounds with a thiamine effect. As another B vitamin, vitamin B1 is one of the critical nutrients in an omnivore diet, as it is often in short supply in the modern western diet. To ensure sufficient intake, certain food groups need to be taken into account. In this article you will learn the most important facts about vitamin B1 and what you can do to get enough of it.

Functions

Vitamin B1 helps as a coenzyme in carbon metabolism, fat metabolism and in branched-chain amino acids, i.e. also in protein metabolism.

Occurrence

Vitamin B1 is found in animal products such as offal and lean pork. In addition, the following plant sources are recommended.

  • Whole grains
  • Potatoes
  • Legumes, e.g. soya
  • Yeast
  • Nuts, e.g. Brazil nuts
  • Seeds, e.g. sunflower seeds or sesame seeds

Metabolism

Absorption takes place in the upper small intestine both actively and passively (passes through mucous membranes directly). Afterwards, the transport to the target cells takes place protein-bound in the blood. The storage capacity is one to two weeks. 40 % of vitamin B1 is stored in the muscles. A steady supply is necessary. Excess B1 is excreted via the kidneys. The absorption is almost 100 %. However, preparation losses of up to 30 % occur.

Deficiency

A deficiency leads to neurological and cardiovascular disorders. This is manifested in the following symptoms:

  • Apetite loss
  • unwanted weight loss
  • Muscle weakness
  • heart problems
  • Psychological lability
  • lack of concentration
  • mild irritability
  • desolation

Causes of deficiency can be insufficient intake, severe alcoholism, medication and infectious diseases. The severe form of vitamin B1 deficiency is called beri-beri and occurs mainly in developing countries.

Recommended Intake

The recommendation is 1 mg/day for women. For men, the recommended amount is 1.2 mg/day. Adolescents should take up to 1.6 mg/day. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should take an additional 0.4 to 0.6 mg/day of vitamin B1.

Supply

Although the median is well above the recommendation, 21% of men and 32% of women have inadequate intakes. Especially women between 65 and 80 years do not reach the recommendations. In this age group, the proportion of people below this level is 40 %.

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