Vitamin B₁

Vitamin B₁, also called Thiamine, is essential for carbohydrate metabolism as well as for nerve and muscle function.  The importance of this vitamin was discovered in the early 1900s in the context on of Beriberi disease.

Sources

Long-grain brown rice, whole grain cereals, lean meat, fish, nuts, beans and seeds are good sources of vitamin B₁.

Properties

The water-soluble vitamin B₁ is extremely sensitive to light and heat.
Avoid, if possible, prolonged cooking of foods enriched with vitamin B₁ in order to preserve them.

Thiamine is absorbed through the small intestine and mainly stored in the liver, but in very small amounts. Since it has a short half-life, a contnuous supply of this vitamin is necessary.

The most commonly used forms of thiamine in dietary supplements are thiamine mononitrate and thiamine hydrochloride.

Functions
Thiamine plays an essential role in energy metabolism and therefore in the growth, development and function of cells.

Consequences of a vitamin B₁ deficiency

In a balanced diet with an adequate supply of whole grain products, a nutrient deficiency of vitamin B₁ is rare.

However, excessive vomiting during pregnancy can lead to a reduction of thiamine. In this case, prenatal vitamins containing thiamine and other B vitamins may be beneficial.

There is an increased need for thiamine during pregnancy and lactation. A defiency in pregnancy can lead to metabolic problems affecting the placenta and the fetus.

Recommendations

Vitamin B₁ und vitamin B₆ have proven to be even more effective when taken togehter.

Nausema^®, which contains both vitamins and vitamin B₁₂, was specially developed to alleviate the symptoms of the so-called morning sickness.