Thoroughly Peel the Benefits of Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Plus the Best Source
Vitamin B1, often also called thiamine, has the benefit of converting carbohydrates from food into energy. So, if you are deficient in vitamin B1, your body will tire quickly and become weak.
How does vitamin B1 work in the body? Then, what other benefits can you get from this vitamin? Check out the answer through the following reviews.
Benefits of vitamin B1 for health
Vitamin B1 aka thiamine is a nutrient that plays an important role in the formation of energy. Your body also needs this vitamin to keep the nervous system, heart and muscles functioning properly.
Like other types of vitamin B complex, thiamine is a water soluble vitamin. Thiamine from food will be absorbed by the small intestine and carried by the bloodstream throughout the body. If you have excess vitamin B1, your body will excrete it in your urine.
You can find thiamine in your daily diet as well as in multivitamin supplements. Adequate intake of vitamin B1 will give your body the following benefits.
1. Prevent the disease beriberi
The most important benefit of vitamin B1 is to prevent beriberi. This disease occurs because the body cannot convert carbohydrates from food into energy. This triggers the buildup of pyruvic acid in the blood and causes the symptoms of beriberi.
Beriberi is treated by giving vitamin B1 supplements in pill or injection form. If the patient’s condition is severe enough, medical personnel will provide supplements through an IV. The doctor will then monitor the patient’s condition periodically.
2. Helping the formation of energy
The food you eat will be digested in the stomach into its smallest form. After that, then the small intestine can absorb carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Vitamin B1 then helps convert all of these nutrients into ATP.
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is a molecule that carries energy into cells so that cells can carry out their functions. When you run out of ATP, your body will be weak and have no energy. This means your body needs food to make new ATP.
3. Maintain brain function
Vitamin B1 appears to have benefits for improving brain function, especially in sufferers Alzheimer’s disease. This is evidenced by a study published by Vietnamese American Medical Research Foundation in 2011.
The study reports that vitamin B1 intake can improve cognitive function in people with Alzheimer’s. Cognitive function is a brain function that includes the ability to think, make decisions, learn, and the like.
4. Helps reduce stress
According to dr. Sherry Ross, an obstetrician and women’s health specialist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, USA, thiamine intake might help control mood and physical distress due to stress.
This is why thiamine is often referred to as an anti-stress vitamin. With adequate intake of vitamin B1, people who are easily stressed will be helped to feel calmer, think positively, and are better able to fight stress that disturbs their mind.
5. Reducing the risk of cataracts
Several previous studies have shown that the adequacy of vitamin B1 coupled with other nutrients can reduce the risk of cataracts. People who consume lots of protein, vitamins A, B1, B2, and B3 also have a lower risk.
Experts say that adequate intake of vitamins C, E, and B complex can protect the eye lens from the possibility of experiencing cataracts. In cataract sufferers, the lens is the most affected part of the eye.
6. Maintain the health of people with heart disease
Heart disease sufferers usually take diuretic pills regularly to remove excess water. However, diuretic drugs can also increase the risk of vitamin B1 deficiency because this vitamin is easily excreted with urine.
Several small studies suggest taking vitamin B1 supplements to combat this. That way, people with heart disease who take diuretic drugs regularly can still meet their daily thiamine needs.
7. Relieve symptoms of certain diseases or conditions
In addition to maintaining overall body health, vitamin B1 is also believed to have benefits in relieving symptoms of several diseases and medical conditions, such as:
- sprue,
- HIV / AIDS,
- cervical cancer,
- type 2 diabetes,
- drunk,
- glaucoma and other vision disorders,
- kidney disorders in type 2 diabetes patients, as well
- a weakened immune system.
The benefits of vitamin B1 for dealing with the various conditions above are indeed promising. Even so, these findings still need to be studied further.
Vitamin B1 is an essential nutrient that cannot be produced or stored in the body. Therefore, you need external intake of this vitamin that comes from food.
Apart from food, you can also reap the benefits of vitamin B1 through supplements. However, make sure you have consulted your doctor to find out the correct dosage.
Hello Health Group and Hello Sehat do not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please check our editorial policy page for more detailed information.
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Thiamin – Vitamin B1. (2021). Retrieved 1 March 2021, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-b1/
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine). (nd) Retrieved 1 March 2021, from https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/vitamin-b1-thiamine
A to Z: Give. (2021). Retrieved 1 March 2021, from https://kidshealth.org/Nemours/en/parents/az-beriberi.html
Introducing Vitamin B1. (2017). Retrieved 1 March 2021, from https://sightandlife.org/blog/introducing-vitamin-b1/
Lu’o’ng, K. v., & Nguyen, LT (2011). Role of thiamine in Alzheimer’s disease. American journal of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, 26(8), 588–598. https://doi.org/10.1177/1533317511432736
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