Thiamin – sources, properties, action. Excess and deficiency of thiamine

Thiamin, or vitamin B1, was isolated in 1911 by the Polish biochemist Kazimierz Funk. Its properties for the body make it indispensable in the daily diet. Thiamin supports the proper functioning of the nervous system, heart and muscles. Thiamine deficiencies in the daily diet can cause many ailments and diseases, and even lead to beriberi disease (resulting in, among others, cardiovascular failure). Thiamin is found in many foods.

Thiamin – characteristics

Thiamin is essential for important life processes. It was isolated in 1911 from rice bran by Kazimierz Funk. In the 30s, it was separated into a pure substance (vitamin B1) aimed at prophylactic prevention of beriberi (a condition caused by vitamin B1 deficiency, which, without treatment, leads to the weakening of the nervous system, heart failure or even death). Vitamin B1 in the body is responsible for supporting the nervous, cardiovascular and even immune systems.

Vitamin B1 is a component of complex vitamin preparations, which also contain other B vitamins. Thiamin is soluble in water. Importantly, this vitamin is not stored in the body, and its lack can be noticed after just 14 days.

Thiamin comes in the form of profosforanu tiaminy, that is, a figure that can be found in the human body, making it easily accessible. In turn, in dietary supplements, thiamine occurs in the form of thiamine hydrochloride. In this form, vitamin B1 must be converted into thiamine pyrophosphate in the human body. Only in this form can it be used.

Therefore, thiamine pyrophosphate is the preferred form. Vitamin B1 is necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system, muscle work, digestion, carbohydrate metabolism, and the flow of electrolytes to nerve and muscle cells.

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Thiamin – action

Thiamin has an effect on the normalization of metabolism. It is necessary for the proper use of carbohydrates. Thiamine in the form of thiamine pyrophosphate is a coenzyme that is needed for the production of important enzymes for the formation of Acetyl CoA and alpha ketoglutaurate, which in turn are needed for the formation of succinyl products.

Thiamin has a significant impact on the proper functioning of the human body:

1. thiamine makes our nervous system work properly – brain cells need thiamine to support their work and enable the creation of neurotransmitters;
2. supports the proper functioning of the heart – thiamine is found in large amounts in the heart, brain, kidneys and liver. However, it is the heart that is very sensitive to possible deficiencies, and the disturbances of enzymes dependent on the level of thiamine and pyrophosphates have a direct impact on the work of the heart and the nervous system;
3. thiamine supports the treatment of digestive disorders, has a positive effect on stimulating the appetite, treating ulcerative colitis and relieving diarrhea;
4. thiamine has a beneficial effect on the dilatation of the arteries – disturbances in the level of sugar in the blood, increases the risk of clogging of the arteries. Regular use of thiamine has a beneficial effect on the functioning of blood vessels, and also slows down the clogging of the arteries in people with disturbed blood sugar levels;
5. thiamine supports AIDS patients (strengthens the immune system), relieves diabetic pain, alcoholism, heart diseases and supports patients with cerebellar syndrome. In addition, thiamin is needed to relieve eye health problems like glaucoma and cataracts. It is also given to people with motion sickness and those who are actively involved in sports to improve their performance. In addition, thiamin may be an element in the prevention of cervical cancer and inhibit the progression of kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes;
6. thiamine also affects the improvement of learning ability, adds energy and helps to fight stress;
7. prevents memory loss, and therefore also Alzheimer’s disease.

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Thiamin – deficiency

The elderly are particularly vulnerable to vitamin B1 deficiency in the body, athletes, people subjected to long-term stress, exposed to frequent physical and mental effort. Thiamine deficiency is favored by an improper diet rich in coffee, alcohol and tea (consumed in large amounts).

Symptoms of thiamine deficiency include:

1. muscle pain and cramps,
2. problems with memory and concentration,
3. feeling of constant fatigue,
4. depression,
5. swelling of the upper and lower limbs,
6. gastrointestinal disorders (vomiting, diarrhea),
7. loss of appetite
8. enlargement of the heart muscle,
9. accelerated work of the heart muscle,
10. weight loss
11. decrease in libido.

People who drink alcohol frequently may experience:

1. Wernicke’s encephalopathy (double vision, impaired consciousness),
2. Korsakoff’s syndrome (memory impairment, lack of contact with reality),
3. delirium tremens (alcohol delirium).

To supplement the deficiencies of thiamine, and also other B vitamins, order High Five B-Complex Viridian or Vitamin B Complex Health Labs today – a complex of B vitamins.

Thiamin – excess

Excess thiamine has no obvious symptoms. In order for it to occur, it is necessary to consume too much thiamine, i.e. about 100 mg / day. This is due to the fact that vitamin B1 has a limited absorption capacity from the gastrointestinal tract, and in addition, excessive amounts of thiamine are excreted in the urine. If there was an excess of thiamine in the body, the following may appear:

1. muscle tremors;
2. dizziness;
3. arrhythmia;
4. hypersensitivity reactions.

Thiamin – occurrence

Thiamin is found in many foods: pork, offal (liver, kidneys), fish, groats (semolina, buckwheat), brown rice, wheat and rye bread, yeast, oatmeal, bran, sunflower seeds, red lentils. In smaller amounts, thiamine can be found in: green peas, beans, asparagus, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage (Italian and red), potatoes, soy sprouts, bananas, mandarins, currants, milk, yoghurts, ripening cheeses.

Thiamin is present in the outer layer of cereal grains, and its amount is reduced in the processing.

At Medonet Market you will find the N ° 1 Complex B dietary supplement – a comprehensive set of B vitamins, which also includes thiamine.

Thiamin – dosage

The dosage of thiamine is as follows:

1. adults with low levels of thiamine, i.e. low vitamin B1 deficiency – the normal dose of thiamine is 5 to 30 mg per day in one dose or in divided doses for one month;
2. adults with severe deficiency can take up to 300 mg of thiamine per day;
3. people who want to reduce the risk of developing cataracts can take about 10 mg of thiamine during the day;
4. in the form of a dietary supplement, adults most often take about 1-2 mg of thiamine per day.

According to dietary recommendations, depending on age, the daily dose of thiamine is:

1. infants 0-6 months of age – 0,2 mg of thiamine;
2. infants 7-12 months of age – 0,3 mg of thiamine;
3. children 1-3 years old – 0,5 mg of thiamine;
4. children 4-8 years old – 0,6 mg thiamine;
5. boys 9-13 years old – 0,9 mg of thiamine;
6. men from the age of 14 – 1,2 mg of thiamine;
7. girls 9-13 years old – 0,9 mg of thiamine;
8. women 14-18 years old – 1 mg of thiamine;
9. women over 18 years old – 1,1 mg of thiamine;
10. pregnant women – 1,4 mg of thiamine;
11. breastfeeding women – 1,5 mg of thiamine.

Thiamin – supplements with vitamin B1

Thiamine can be found in both single-ingredient and combined preparations. The amount of thiamine dose may vary. Vitamin B1 dissolves easily in water and is well absorbed in the intestines. Vitamins B2, B3, C, E, as well as manganese and magnesium contribute to the improvement of thiamine digestibility. In turn, antibiotics, coffee, hormonal contraception and various antacids have a negative effect on the absorption of thiamine. Please note that the maximum dose of thiamine in dietary supplements is 100 mg per day.

Thiamine supplementation is recommended for elderly people who are actively involved in sports and professional sports, who work mentally and live under constant stress. It is also worth reaching for them when using other drugs and dietary supplements that may lower the level of thiamine in the blood, such as field horsetail.

Thiamin for hair

Thiamin is necessary for the proper course of many metabolic processes, also in the skin, hair and nails. It is responsible for the production of the hair’s basic building blocks, i.e. amino acids. For this reason, thiamine supplementation is recommended when our hair is excessively falling out.

Thiamine as a coenzyme stimulates the transformation of amino acids which have a positive effect on the reproductive cells of the hair matrix. Vitamin B1 thus accelerates hair growth.

In addition, thiamin is responsible for the work of the sebaceous glands. When its deficiencies appear, the sebaceous glands work disrupted, which begin to produce too much sebum. As a result, the scalp becomes greasy, and if the problem is not solved, seborrhea and seborrheic dermatitis may appear, which may cause hair loss to be difficult to treat.

Thiamine deficiencies also weaken the hair along its entire length. Hair becomes dull, brittle and ends with splitting and crumbling. Thiamine supplementation is especially recommended for adolescents, when the sebaceous glands are highly dysregulated and often work twice as hard as they should. Such action of thiamine can also have a positive effect on the condition of the skin of people in adolescence.