Vitamin B1 - Thiamin, Supplements, Food Sources, Facts & Information

MAIN Health Vitamins & Minerals Vitamin B1

Vitamin B1 Fast Facts

Foods: wheat germ, pork, whole grains, dried beans, seeds, nuts

Nutritional & health benefits: nerve functions, muscle tone, converting food sources into energy.

A key factor in the healthy functioning of all the body's cells, especially the nerves, thiamine works with the other B vitamins to change protein, carbohydrates, and fat to energy.

In research studies, Vitamin B1 has also been shown to help prevent vascular complications and eye problems associated with diabetes.

Vitamin B1, also known as Thiamine, is an essential vitamin for maintaining and promoting health in a variety of the bodies systems.

In particular, Vitamin B1 is important for maintaining proper functioning of the nervous system as well as the cardiac system. But beyond maintaining proper bodily functions, vitamin B1 has some important health benefits that make it worth considering as a supplement.

Like the other forms of vitamin B, vitamin B1 is known as an anti-stress vitamin because it helps the immune system to work at full strength and by extension helps the human body to prevail when faced with stress. There are also several clinical studies which have shown that vitamin B1 is a key ingredient for boosting memory retention.

Vitamin B1, along with other forms of vitamin B, has also been shown to promote healthy vision and can even work to prevent the formation of vision problems such as cataracts.

In addition to all these known health benefits, there is a great deal of speculation that vitamin B1 may be important for slowing the pace of Alzheimer's disease. While there isn't any conclusive evidence to suggest this yet, researchers are confident that there is some sort of link between vitamin B1 and Alzheimer's disease due to the fact that vitamin B1 deficiency impairs the brain in a way reminiscent of Alzheimer's disease.

There are many readily available sources of vitamin B1. It can be taken as a supplement and it is also found in high concentrations in pork products, such as pork chops or pork barbecue dishes.

For those looking to avoid meat products, large amounts of vitamin B1 can also be found in most whole grain foods, as well as enriched and fortified rice and cereals.

Around the Web, find out more about the benefits of B1, where to find it in the foods we eat, and recent research about its role in disease prevention...

More information about Vitamin B1 around the Web:

Glactone: Vitamin B1 - Comprehensive information on thiamine history, biochemical functions, conditions and symptoms of deficiency including facts on beri-beri and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, downloadable images of thiamine structure, bibliography, related resources.

Vitamin B1 - Thiamin - Overview of water-soluble vitamins, recommended daily requirements for B1 along with good food sources, deficiency dangers.

The Merck Manual - Vitamin B1 - Systemic functions, causes and symptoms of deficiency seen in chronic alcoholism, diagnosis and treatment.

How Vitamin B1 Works - Excellent overview of its benefits, symptoms of deficiency, and a nutritional guide including a table of good food sources listing amounts in milligrams.

Food Standards Agency - Thiamin - How it works in the body in conjunction with other B vitamins, good food sources, recommended daily requirement, with a complete scientific assessment in PDF format.

Thiamin (Vitamin B1) - Complete overview of indications and usage, absorption and excretion, deficiency dangers and symptoms, drug and food interactions, dosage recommendations by age level, references.

Vitamin B1 Research - 'Plain English' summaries of recent studies relating to B1 treatment for autism, renal disease, diabetic neuropathy, alcoholism and a variety of other conditions.