B vitamins are considered indispensable for the human body. Without his participation, literally not a single physiological process occurs, starting from the formation of muscle and bone tissues, maintaining the normal functioning of organs and systems, and much more. The first in the list of the most important components that belong to the B vitamins is thiamine - vitamin B 1 .
The history of the discovery of vitamin B 1 (thiamine) is closely related to the well-known beriberi disease (vitamin deficiency B 1 ), which appears in adults and children with a deficiency of this vitamin in the body. It was first discovered in the East. The disease manifests itself in conditions such as physical exhaustion, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath and paralysis in severe situations. What kind of vitamin thiamine is, we will consider in more detail in our article.
The role of vitamin B1
The normal content of vitamin B 1 in the body of adults and children supports good health, optimism, quickly relieves fatigue and irritability, nervousness, relieves fears, supports a healthy appetite, and also improves the process of splitting food in the stomach and takes part in regulating the functioning of the digestive tract.
When studying what vitamin thiamine is, pay attention that it cannot independently accumulate in the human body. Unfortunately, we do not have hidden reserves from which it would be possible to get an additional amount of vitamin in case of lack of it. He should do food every day, which is not always so easy to implement. Vitamin B 1 is very fragile: this means that it decomposes quickly during prolonged processing of foods at high temperatures, as well as in the presence of alkalis.
Diagnostics
After determining what vitamin thiamine is, it is important to understand how to detect hypovitaminosis B 1 . Diagnosis is based on determining the decrease in blood vitamin content (in serum below 5 μg / l, in erythrocytes below 30 μg / l), increasing the allowable indicator of lactate and pyruvate in the blood, and is also based on determining the level of thiamine in the urine.
The low content of thiamine in urine and blood is not considered evidence of a deficiency of B 1 , but rather reflects the amount of thiamine that was ingested with food the day before.
Who especially needs thiamine
Young children need vitamin B 1 most during intensive growth, especially if they are accustomed to sweets, such as sweets, flour products, and sweet tea. Thiamine is also necessary for women after the age of 50, but also for those who are diagnosed with a deficiency of this vitamin. About 40% of young people also need additional vitamin B 1 supplementation, and especially those young people who have an “eternally tired” look, anxiety, and depression.
Causes of Vitamin B1 Loss
Eating only boiled foods, for example, all kinds of cereals, vegetables, vegetable purees, people lose most of the thiamine. Many, on the contrary, eat large amounts of white bread, supposedly “because of the liver” or “stomach diseases”, but in this way they only worsen the situation. Eating white, especially fresh bread, you seem to stuff a stomach with cotton. The grain from which the flour was made and the bread was baked was bleached so many times, which is why no vitamins and trace elements remain in the baking. Frequent consumption of such food leads to early sclerosis, poor memory, and urinary incontinence.
If you eat mainly foods such as white bread, pies, pancakes, buns, sweets, and other sweets, then your body does not receive vitamin B 1 , but also increases the need for it several times. Therefore, what foods contain vitamin B 1 , it is important to study with special attention.
Excess Vitamin B1
An overdose of thiamine is almost impossible, because it is a water-soluble vitamin. Its excess is excreted naturally through urine or through the esophagus. There is one thing but! When using synthetic vitamin B 1 , an allergic reaction can occur, which is accompanied by redness of the skin, fever and other unpleasant symptoms. In case of individual intolerance, it is better to refuse to take synthetic thiamine, otherwise the likelihood of anaphylactic shock increases.
Signs of Vitamin B1 Deficiency
What is this vitamin thiamine and what happens to the body when it is lacking? The absence of this element alone can lead to serious disorders in the body. And to testify to its absence, the following symptoms:
- a sharp decrease in body weight;
- lack of appetite;
- colitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the colon);
- digestive problems (e.g. diarrhea);
- neuritis (inflammation of the nerve);
- fatigue and irritability;
- deterioration of short-term memory;
- oppressed and depressed mental state;
- loss of sensation;
- weakness;
- decreased visual acuity;
- confusion;
- hallucinations;
- inability to absorb new information;
- pain in the heart.
Vitamin B 1 deficiency does not occur in people who live in Western countries. It is believed that in children thiamine deficiency occurs several times more often than in adults.
What foods contain vitamin B1
Sources of vitamin B 1 of plant origin: soybeans, legumes, cereals, whole grain bread, sunflower seeds, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, parsley, spinach. Animal origin: pork, beef, fish, eggs and offal. Let us single out almonds, the benefits and harms of which were studied in Babylon and Ancient Greece. Like other products on our list, almonds prevent the development of diseases that are directly associated with a lack of vitamin B, for example, polyneuritis.
To comply with the daily norm of this vitamin in the diet is enough:
- 200 g of oatmeal;
- 200 g pea porridge;
- 200 g of unpolished rice;
- 50 g of sunflower or almond seeds;
- 250 g of beans;
- 50 g of beef liver;
- 100 g of veal;
- 2 medium chicken eggs;
- 50 g spinach;
- 100 g of broccoli.
In order not to suffer from a lack of this vital vitamin, avoid a long heat treatment, do not abuse sweets, alcohol and coffee drinks. Remember: the daily need for vitamin B1 (thiamine) is 1.1 to 2.5 mg. However, its amount depends on the rhythm of life and physical activity, your age and gender. Thiamine also breaks down at low temperatures. Therefore, when you freeze peas, its vitamin B 1 content decreases.
Vitamin Daily
The daily intake of vitamin B 1 , that is, the amount of thiamine required by the body, depends on the form of the vitamin. In multivitamin complexes, which are sold in pharmacies, B 1 is part of thiamine chloride, and unlike bromine compounds, it is much better absorbed.
The amount of the daily dose also depends on body weight, physical activity and the emotional state of the person. On average, you need to take 1.3-1.5 mg per day. However, this is not a strict rule, but simply the recommendation of doctors. In the process of remission, that is, recovery from a serious illness or after pregnancy, it is necessary to increase the dosage. The need for vitamin B 1 in athletes and in pregnant women can increase to 2.5-3 mg.
Daily consuming a large number of various fruits, salads and vegetables provides the necessary amount of thiamine. But if there are a lot of fried and boiled foods in the diet, then vitamin B 1 needs to be taken additionally.
Drug and Drug Interactions
To date, there is not much research on the interaction of thiamine with all kinds of medicines. However, it is known that contraceptives and antibiotics significantly reduce the absorption of thiamine in injections into body tissues. Therefore, before using certain drugs, you should consult your doctor.
Like other vitamins, thiamine also has “friends” and “enemies” among foods. The first group includes nuts, sesame seeds, cocoa, fresh spinach and other foods rich in magnesium. This element helps vitamin B 1 go into active form, after which it proceeds to perform important functions in the body. Please note that protects thiamine from decay into harmful compounds - vitamin C.
A lot of the list of "enemies":
- Black tea and coffee. Caffeine and thiamine enter a particular reaction with each other. Under the action of caffeine, vitamin B 1 turns into a compound that will be difficult to digest. This leads to digestion. However, this is quite rare when a person drinks a large amount of tea and / or coffee daily.
- The thiaminase enzyme is present in unprocessed seafood. Studies have shown that eating freshwater fish and shellfish quickly destroys thiamine in the body. But heat-treated seafood and fish do not cause vitamin B 1 deficiency.
- Alcohol abuse and smoking impair thiamine absorption.
- Salt is also considered the “enemy” of vitamin B 1 . Therefore, it is better to salt the dishes immediately before meals.
- Nicotinic acid is also an enemy of thiamine, because it quickly destroys it. In addition, doctors do not recommend taking thiamine with vitamins B 6 and B 12 at the same time. This is because they complicate the conversion of B 1 to the active form.
Dosage Forms
Vitamin B 1 , which is manufactured by the pharmaceutical industry, is a drug. It is made in different options:
- in tablets;
- in powder form;
- solution for injection of vitamin B1 in ampoules with different concentrations of the main component.
The first two options are consumed immediately after a meal. If there are digestive problems or there is an urgent need for the introduction of significant doses to quickly restore health, thiamine injections are prescribed - intramuscularly or intravenously. Injection solution can be purchased at pharmacies. The price of thiamine in ampoules ranges from 25 to 30 rubles per 10 pieces.