La Vitamin B1 (also known as thiamine) is a water-soluble vitamin, that is, capable of dissolving in water. It is naturally present in some foods, as we will see in this article. Although today it can also be consumed as a supplement.
Thiamine plays a key role in the energy metabolism. Among other things, it contributes to the proper functioning of the enzymes involved in the metabolism of glucose, amino acids and fats), in growth, development and, in general, in the daily functioning of cells.
Transport of vitamin B1
Vitamin B1 taken as a supplement or from the diet itself is rapidly absorbed in the small intestine either by Active transport, that is, we consume it and the body actively captures and absorbs it. or by passive diffusion. In this case the vitamin passes spontaneously into the bloodstream, when the active carriers are no longer sufficient. It could occur in the case of high doses of thiamine in the body.
But not all of the vitamin we take is absorbed. Active transport can be reduced or inhibited by alcohol use or folate deficiency, and instead can be stimulated in case of ingesting little vitamin. It could be said that in a natural way the body tries to cover the deficiency if it is consumed in small quantities.
La intestinal bacterial flora It can provide vitamin B1 through the synthesis of food, but the real extent of this contribution is not known.
It is stored above all in the liver, but in very small amounts, which is why it is It is important to provide the vitamin with the different meals and that we do not have a deficit.
How much Vitamin B1 do we need?
The recommended daily amounts of this vitamin depend on age and sex:
- Children and adolescents
- from 1 to 3 years: from 0,3 mg to 0,4 mg
- from 4 to 6 years: from 0,4 mg to 0,5 mg
- from 7 to 10 years: from 0,6 mg to 0,8 mg
- Men
- from 11 to 14 years: from 0,9 mg to 1,1 mg
- from 15 to 17 years: from 1,0 mg to 1,2 mg
- adults: 1,0 mg to 1,2 mg
- Women
- from 11 to 14 years: from 0,8 mg to 1,0 mg
- from 15 to 17 years: from 0,9 mg to 1,1 mg
- Adults: 0,9 mg to 18 mg
- Pregnancy: from 1,2mg to 1,4mg
- Lactation: from 1,2mg to 1,4mg
In what foods can we find it?
The foods that contain the highest amounts of vitamin B1 are legumes, fish, whole grains and meat (especially pork). If you want to learn more about other benefits of legumes, you can visit this link or find out more about Sources of vitamin B1 and its benefits.
Heating the food reduces the amount of thiamine in the food. An example of this would be bread, which has between 20% and 30% less vitamin B1 than the raw ingredients used to make it. In the case of milk, pasteurization reduces the amount of this vitamin by 20%. That is to say, vitamin B1 is heat labile and therefore the amount available is reduced by cooking.
Besides, as we have mentioned before, thiamine is soluble in water and therefore, a large amount of this vitamin is lost when the cooking water is discarded (which could be the case of cereals or legumes).
Other factors (in this case food) that reduce the absorbance of this vitamin are tannins present in tea or coffee or fish or shellfish when eaten raw, but neither of these two groups of foods or substances has been studied at a clinical level. These are observational methods on comparisons between diets but there are no actual studies done yet.
How can I tell if I am low on vitamin B1?
Measuring the amount of thiamine in the blood is not a reliable indicator, but it is to check the activity of a specific enzyme, transketolase, since its activity is directly linked to the presence of thiamine. The guideline values ​​for this enzyme should be:
- from 0% to 15% in healthy people,
- from 15% to 25% if there is a small deficit,
- more than 25% if there is no vitamin B1 or it is very deficient.
Sometimes measurements are made through urine. This case is better if you want to know how much thiamine is ingested, instead of trying to find out how much remains in the body's reservoir. Excretion of less than 100 mcg/day of thiamine, in the case of adults, would indicate that more thiamine should be consumed.
What can cause the absorption of vitamin B1 to be reduced?
- Alcoholism. Alcohol reduces absorption, as well as predisposing to more general malnutrition.
- Advanced age. It is probably due to the fact that little is consumed. When we get older we tend to have monotonous and unbalanced diets, apart from suffering from chronic diseases and usually being polymedicated. All this contributes to having less thiamine.
- HIV AIDS. These situations are often accompanied by malnutrition.
- Diabetes. Due to increased renal elimination.
- background of bariatric surgery because the intake and absorption of food is reduced.
What happens if I do not consume vitamin B1 or consume little?
Today it is very rare for there to be a deficiency of this vitamin in the First World, but if there were, we would have memory loss, less gain and reduction in weight, confusional state, heart problems and muscle weakness.
If there is a serious deficiency it would end up suffering"beriberi", which manifests itself with the symptoms that we have just mentioned but also causes muscle pain, muscle atrophy with reduced muscle mass, numbness and tingling in the extremities (hands and feet) and reduced neurological reflexes.
In developed countries like ours, it usually affects chronic alcoholics, and is known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Would it be advisable to supplement with thiamine?
The truth is that there is no evidence of the effectiveness of taking vitamin B1 supplements. It is an essential vitamin for the body, but it is obtained from many foods, and thiamine deficiency is not common. In the case of a deficiency, it should be consumed or supplemented, under medical supervision. in alcoholic or elderly patients at risk.
The consumption of vitamin B1 is currently being studied for other specific cases such as that of people who suffer Cataracts, since its consumption is associated with a lower risk of developing cataracts. Or in the case of diabetic nephropathy, that is, kidney damage in people with diabetes. Studies show that taking about 300 mg of thiamine a day can reduce the amount of albumin in the urine of patients with type 2 diabetes (the presence of albumin in the urine indicates kidney damage). Finally, it is important to emphasize its consumption if you suffer from dysmenorrhea, menstrual cramps because it reduces pain.
What happens if I take more thiamine than the body can absorb?
The body can eliminate any excess vitamin B1 through the urine because it is a water-soluble vitamin. So there is no risk of excess vitamin B1.
Interactions with other medications
There are medications that can reduce the amount of thiamine, but thiamine does not interact with medications. If diuretics such as furosemide are taken, vitamins are excreted in the urine, including thiamine. Fluorouracil is also capable of inhibiting the action of the vitamin in normal metabolic processes.