Why Is Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Important For Your Body?
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) is essential to our body to produce and transfer energy. It helps extract energy from carbohydrates and it is used to produce a molecule that transports energy within our cells. In summary, it helps turn food into energy.
Where do I get it?
All organisms use thiamine, but it is made only in bacteria, fungi, and plants. Because of that we humans, as well as all animals, must obtain this essential nutrient from our diet. The most common sources in a normal diet are offal, in particular, liver and kidneys, meat, nuts, beans, legumes, rice, and yeast. Many kinds of cereal and other wholegrain products are fortified with vitamin B1. Some food products such as tea, coffee, raw fish, and shellfish, contain enzymes that destroy thiamine. You should therefore mind your vitamin B1 intake if you consume a lot of those products.
How much Vitamin do I need?
The recommended daily intake varies by gender and age. For healthy adult women and men, 0.8-1.2mg are recommended. But don’t worry about getting too much. Vitamin B1 is water resolvable, which means that the body can easily get rid of any excess it doesn’t need.
What happens if I don’t get enough Vitamin B1?
Deficiency of vitamin b1 can affect the cardiovascular, nervous, and immune system. This is frequently seen in wet beriberi, dry beriberi, or as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Worldwide it is most widely reported in populations where polished rice and milled cereals are the primary food source, and also in patients with chronic alcohol abuse. Therefore make sure you get enough vitamin B1 from your nutrition.
