Thiamine, Vitamin B1

Thiamine, Vitamin B1, is an important vitamin to be aware of. Although I don’t usually talk with my patients about this vitamin in terms of ongoing daily supplements, it does deserve some attention.

This vitamin is within the “B complex” family of vitamins and plays a part in sugar and protein breakdown. It is widely abundant in grains and meats, so healthy diets rarely put someone at risk of low levels. General multivitamins almost always have Vitamin B1 in the formulary.

This vitamin can be incredibly crucial when body stores are insufficient. You may have heard of medical terms like “Beriberi” or “Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome”, which describe specific symptoms of Thiamine deficiency. Basically, low levels of Thiamine can cause irreversible nerve injury. I have seen this before with traveling bariatric patients, and I can attest to the devastating consequences.

Not to scare you, but if you have chronic vomiting and you are not taking vitamin supplements, you are at high risk of developing Thiamine deficiency.

Low Thiamine can be easily reversed with many over-the-counter supplements. Like always, we will monitor your levels on a regular basis to ensure your safety. But remember your responsibility to maintain a healthy body through daily supplements recommended by our dieticians.