Life and Greatness

         Vitamin B1 – Why we need it?

One of the B group of vitamins, B1 (or thiamin) is essential for producing energy from fats and carbohydrates and has a role to play in ensuring the nervous system works efficiently. It’s vital for the healthy functioning of our heart and brain, too.

What happens if I don’t get enough?

A full-blown deficiency in the western world is rare. Indeed, vitamin B1 is one of the few foods that most groups of people in the USA get more than enough of – figures show that men have an average of 1.59mg a day and women, 1.28mg. The exceptions are people who suffer from alcoholism.

Alcohol has many adverse effects on vitamin B1 levels in the body. For example, it reduces vitamin B1 absorption from the gut and lowers the uptake and use of B1 in the body’s cells. Early signs of a deficiency include nausea, cramps, muscle fatigue, depression, irritability and poor co-ordination.

The primary sources

Many foods contain vitamin B1, which is why it’s easy for most people to get enough each day. The primary sources are whole grain cereals (especially bread), fortified breakfast cereals, oats and brown rice. Other B1-rich foods include pulses, seeds, nuts, red meat (especially pork and pork products), fish and offal.

Drinking danger

Many foods contain vitamin B1, which is why it’s easy for most people to get enough each day. The primary sources are whole grain cereals (especially bread), fortified breakfast cereals, oats and brown rice. Other B1-rich foods include pulses, seeds, nuts, red meat (especially pork and pork products), fish and offal.

How much do I need each day?

The Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) for vitamin B1, which you’ll see on food labels, is 1.1mg. But there are more detailed guidelines in the UK for vitamin B1 needs at specific ages and stages in life:

Females
19+ yr = 0.8mg
In pregnancy* = 0.9,g
Breastfeeding = 1mg

Males
50+ yr = 0.9mg
19-50 yr = 1mg

Children
15-18 yr (girls) = 0.8mg
15-18 yr (boys) = 1.1mg
11-14 yr (girls) = 0.7mg
11-14 yr (boys) = 0.9mg
4-10 yr = 0.7mg
1-3 yr = 0.5mg

Babies
10-12 mth = 0.3mg
0-9 mth = 0.2mg

PMS connection

A recent study suggested vitamin B1 supplements help to ease the symptoms of PMS. More research is needed, but it may be worth making sure you have good intakes if you suffer with PMS.

Diabetes debate

Research is increasingly showing a link between vitamin B1 deficiency and type 2 diabetes, although more studies are needed to confirm why this is.

How to retain the vitamin B1 in food

As it’s a water soluble vitamin, it’s sensitive to heat so cooking can deplete levels in food. Steam rather than boil B1-rich vegetables to retain as much of the vitamin as possible.

The longer food is cooked, the more vitamin B1 tends to be destroyed. Scrambled eggs lose about 5% of their vitamin B1, but baked eggs lose 15%.

Processing also affects it, which is why whole grain products tend to contain far more vitamin B1 than the similar white products (it’s the outer layers of the grain that contain most). Long-grain rice contains no vitamin B1, whereas a 150g portion of cooked brown rice provides 15% of our daily need for this nutrient. White pasta twists include minimal B1, but 200g whole wheat pasta gives us a fifth of the recommended daily intake.

source: http://healthguard24.com/2017/01/30/vitamin-b1-need/