VITAMIN B1 (THIAMINE)
The existence of B-vitamins was conceived less than 100 years ago. In the early 1900’s Casimir Funk, a Polish biochemist proposed the existence of certain dietary substances required in trace amounts for the prevention of diseases that were the plague of that era, notably beriberi and pellagra. Researchers later (1915) determined that food contained both water and fat soluble vitamins. Using egg yolks as the raw material, they extracted the vitamins and named the fatty fraction “ fat soluble A” and coined the name for the water fraction, “water soluble B.” Eventually, chemists were able to isolate two of the vitamins, thiamine and riboflavin, from the water soluble fractions. Once isolated, the chemical formulas of the individual vitamins were identified, and ultimately, they were synthesized.
However, to their surprise, researchers found something highly intriguing. The purified and/or synthetic compounds were considerably less effective than the original crude extracts made from foods. Apparently a number of other unknown factors worked in concert with the known vitamins. The chemist’ intensive search for these unknown factors led to the discovery of the remaining B-vitamins: niacin, folic acid, vitamin B-12, biotin, pantothenic acid, and pyridoxine. Future research will likely reveal yet to be discovered fractions.
Thiamine deficiency is common in the United States. this is despite the fortification of processed foods, notably breads and cereals, with the nutrient. Gross deficiency of thiamine causes a condition know as polyneuritis. This is defined as inflammation of the nerve sheaths throughout the body. Obviously, thiamine is required for the normal functioning of the nerves. It is no surprise that this important B-vitamin is known as the morale vitamin. In fact, mood changes, depression, and/or other mental symptoms are early signs of its deficiency.
Anyone who believes that thiamine deficiency in America is rare should consider the following study. Volunteers were placed on a standard American menu of bread, processed cereals, well-done beef, potatoes, white rice, gelatin, egg whites, sugar, cocoa, skimmed milk products, canned fruits, canned vegetables, and coffee. The diet was supplemented with every nutrient except thiamine. In addition, the volunteers were given thiamine-deficient brewer’s yeast. This was done to ensure that any symptoms that might occur could be assigned exclusively to thiamine deficiency. In fact, the diet was so well supplemented that in all respects, with the exception of thiamine nutritive, it was superior to that eaten by the majority of Americans. According to the researchers, “All the volunteers became irritable, depressed, quarrelsome, uncooperative and...fearful that some misfortune awaited them. Two became so agitated that they felt life was no longer worth living and threatened suicide. In part, this could be attributed to weakness, in part to inability to concentrate, confusion, and uncertainty of memory...”
There are a number of reasons that thiamine deficiency is common in America and other civilized societies. First, the so-called civilized diet is largely composed of highly processed and refined foods, while thiamine occurs naturally in large quantities only in wholesome unprocessed foods. Such foods include whole grains, particularly the germ and bran fractions, fresh organ meats, peanuts, and soybeans. Secondly, naturally occurring thiamine is a rather delicate compound and is readily destroyed by cooking. Losses during storage may also be significant, and fluorescent light negatively affect it. What’s more, thiamine is inactivated by chlorine, and, thus, people who wash and/or cook their food with chlorinated water or, more importantly, drink, bathe, or swim in chlorinated water are likely to become thiamine deficient.
One way to prevent thiamine loss while cooking is to add acidic substances, such as lemon juice or vinegar, to the cooking medium. Apparently, acids stabilize the thiamine molecule, preventing heat-induced destruction. Thus thiamine depletion is reduced when preparing recipes naturally high in acid such as spaghetti sauce, tomato soup, and fish in lemon sauce.
thiamine is absorbed chiefly from the upper part of the small intestine, i.e. the duodenum. Thus, diseases of that region, for instance, duodenal ulcer, pancreatitis and giardiasis (a parasitic infestation of the small bowel), greatly hamper thiamine absorption and lead to its deficiency.
People who regularly drink black tea often develop thiamine deficiency, since tea contains compounds which block thiamine absorption. Raw sea foods, such as sushi, herring, oysters, and lox can induce thiamine deficiency since these foods contain a thiamine antagonist called thiaminase. In actuality, this is an enzyme which attacks the thiamine molecules, splitting them in half. Individuals who suffer from liver disease of any type (hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, Gilbert’s disease) are vulnerable for developing severe thiamine deficiency. For chronic alcoholics, particularly those who drink a pint or more of alcohol daily, thiamine deficiency can become so extreme as to result in irreparable nerve and brain damage. The function of all brain cells is thiamine dependent; it is no wonder that thiamine deficient alcoholics develop a wide range of mental symptoms including depression, memory loss, agitation, violent behavior, and frank psychosis.
To perform the thiamine test and all subsequent tests, add the total number of positive responses and match your score with the mild, moderate, severe, or extreme deficiency categories. Each response is worth one point unless otherwise indicated. It is desirable to keep a record of your deficiencies and check to see if the symptoms decrease with dietary intervention and supplementation.
Which of these apply to you?
1. depression and/or anxiety
2. nervousness
3. sugar intolerance
4. lack of appetite or excessive appetite
5. vague chest pains and/or shortness of breath
6. irregular heartbeat
7. chronic constipation
8. indigestion
9. intolerance to protein-rich foods such as meats, soybeans, milk products, and fish
10.leg cramps after exercising
11.agitation
12.chronic fatigue
13.irritability
14.sleep apnea
15.anger
16.fears and/or paranoia
17.excessively rapid heartbeat with mild or moderate exercise
18.rapid resting heartbeat(80 beats or greater per minute)
19.heaviness and/or weakness of the arms or legs
20.burning and/or numbness of the arms,hands,feet,and/or toes
21.personality changes
22.heartburn
23.swelling of the extremities
24.bloating after eating
25.stomach aches and/or pain
26.attention deficit(i.e. short attention span)
27.mental dullness and/or poor concentration
28.loss of strength
29.vulnerability to insect bites, particularly fleas and mosquitoes
30.bed wetting
31.temper tantrums and/or violent behavior
32.craving for sugar and/or other sweets
34.eye fibrillations (twitches)
35.lack of sensation for urination (lack of urination)
36.loss of muscle tissue in arms and/or legs
37.premenstrual depression
38.painful menses
39.noise sensitivity
40.rapidly aging skin
41.nausea and/or vomiting
42.cold hands, ears, and feet
43.hypotension (low blood pressure)
44.headache
45.insomnia
46.excessive sweating
47.abdominal pain
48.inability to maintain weight
49.foot and wrist drop
50. tendency to stumble while walking or climbing stairs
51. clumsiness
52.sleep walking
53.nightmares
54.chronic swelling of the lymph nodes
55.Do you have an abnormally slow heart rate?
56.Do you have a history o retinal bleeding?
57.Doy you have a history of bulimia?
58.Do you regularly consume alcoholic beverages (one or more drinks per day)?
59.Do you consume black or iced tea on a daily basis?
60.Do you consume raw fish on a daily or weekly basis?
61.Do you have chronic backaches which are unresponsive to traditional therapies?
62.Do you drink two or more cups of coffee on a daily basis?
63.Are you emotionally unstable?
64.Are you quarrelsome or argumentative?
65.Do you have a low pain tolerance?
66.Do you have a phobia of the sensation of creatures (insects) crawling on your skin?
67.Do you have a enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy)?
68.Have you had a portion of your stomach or intestines removed, or undergone stomach stapling?
69.Do you adhere to a high carbohydrate diet?
Your Score ______
1 to 9 points Mild thiamine deficiency: Even mild thiamine deficiency can result in significant symptoms and predispose individuals to certain diseases. Correct this by eating thiamine-rich foods and supplementing the diet with rice polishing, which is one of the richest food sources known. Consume 2 heaping tablespoons of rice polishing mixed in milk, water, or juice daily. Additionally, alcohol and refined sugar destroy thiamine, so their intake must be reduced or eliminated.
10 to 22 points Moderate thiamine deficiency: Aggressive correction of moderate thiamine deficiency will help prevent future health problems or resolve existing ones, since chronic thiamine deficit often results in a variety of physical and mental derangements. Eat large helpings of thiamine-rich foods and consume 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of rice polishing morning and night. Additionally, take a multiple vitamin containing thiamine. Avoid the thiamine destroyers, a category which includes raw fish, green or black tea, coffee, refined sugar, chlorinated water, and alcohol.
23 to 33 points Severe thiamine deficiency: A variety of potentially serious medical conditions may result from prolonged thiamine deficiency. These conditions include malabsorption, under active or overactive thyroid, dementia, depression, anxiety, congestive heart failure, immune defects, heart rhythm disturbances, hypoglycemia and/or diabetes and beriberi. If you have any of these diseases, it is likely that you are thiamine deficient. Correct this deficiency by fortifying baked goods and cereals with rice polishing. In addition, take 3 heaping tablespoons of rice polishing three times daily mixed in fluid. Thiamine supplements are also indicated. However, the typical type of thiamine found in vitamin pills, thiamine hydrochloride, is poorly absorbed. A superior type is fat-soluble thiamine which is found in a supplement called Allithiamine. Take 100 mg (i.e. mg= one milligram = 0.001 gram) of Allithiamine morning and night.
34 and above Extreme thiamine deficiency: Warning-physiological derangement, as well as internal organ damage, is imminent if tissue thiamine levels continue to decline. The nervous system, including the brain, is particularly vulnerable and can be damaged irreparably unless the deficiency is corrected promptly. Take supplemental thiamine, preferably in the form of Allithiamine, a highly absorbable fat-soluble form of thiamine. The initial dosage should be 300 mg three times daily. After 60 days of this therapy reduce the dosage to 200 mg three times daily. Additionally, fortify foods and cereals with rice bran and/or polishing and mix 4 heaping tablespoons of rice polishing in fluid and drink this mixture morning, noon, and night. If symptoms persist, see your doctor.
Severe thiamine deficiency can be corrected by injections of this B-vitamin. However, there is a word of caution: intravenous/intramuscular thiamine has been associated with toxicity, including severe allergic reactions. Thus, taking thiamine orally is safer than injections. In fact, evidence is accumulating that the fat-soluble thiamine is the safest form of all. Additionally, it is better assimilated. A study was recently performed comparing the absorption of oral doses of fat-soluble thiamine with the absorption of inject able thiamine. The researchers were amazed to find the blood levels were consistently higher with the oral dosage of Allithiamine than with the inject able form.
With the exception of alcoholics suffering from delirium tremens, correction of the thiamine deficiency with oral doses should suffice. For the alcoholic with extreme thiamine deficiency, the next drink might be the fatal one, since life threatening cardiac and/or neurological symptoms may develop as a result of alcohol-induced thiamine deficiency. Thus, alcoholics who score high on this exam must stop drinking alcoholic beverages immediately. However, they should do so only while under a doctor’s care to avoid the delirium tremens, which is potentially fatal.