| Proper name |
Thiamine |
| Category |
Vitamin |
| Functions |
Thiamine pyrophosphate is necessary to make ATP (the unit of energy in each
cell) from glucose (blood sugar). · Also required to make acetylcholine,
the primary neurotransmitter in the brain and nervous system and for the
maintenance of nerves. · Required for muscular function, especially the
heart muscle. · Needed for fatty acid synthesis. |
| RDA |
No RDA has been established. Animal studies suggest 1-2 mg per day. |
| Therapeutic
dose |
25-250 mg per day. |
| Deficiency symptoms |
Thiamine is one the more commonly deficient nutrients in the American diet,
probably because it is refined out of whole grains and because it is easily
destroyed in cooking. At risk groups for thiamine deficiency include alcoholics,
chronic dieters, chronic diarrhea, malabsorption disorders such as celiac
disease, the elderly, persons who eat mostly refined foods, and malnourished
infants. · Symptoms include, depression, fatigue, irritability, memory loss,
confusion, anorexia, weight loss, edema, muscular weakness, soreness in
calf muscles, loss of reflexes in legs, pins and needles sensations and
numbness, poor coordination, indigestion, edema, heart palpitations and
rapid pulse rate. |
| Toxicity |
Doses in excess of 1,000 mg for prolonged periods may cause symptoms of
thiamine deficiency, possibly by depleting the enzyme necessary to convert
thiamine to thiamine pyrophosphate. |
| Best
forms
|
Thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide, Benfotiamine (lipophilic), Allithiamine,
Thiamine mononitrate |
| Food
sources |
Brewer's yeast and organ meats are the most concentrate sources. Most dietary
thiamine comes from consumption of whole grains. |
| Lab
tests |
Red blood cell transketolase |
| Drug
interactions |
Thiamine
deficiency may be induced by taking; Aminoglycosides, Bumetanide, Cephalosporins,
Chlortetracycline, Demeciocycline, Ethacrynic acid, Fluoroquinolones, Furosemide,
Macolides, Minocycline, Oxytetracycline, Penicillins, Phentoin, Sulphamides,
Tetracyclines, Torsemide and Trimethoprim. |
| Nutrient interactions |
Works synergistically with other nutrients, particularly other B vitamins.
|
| Metabolism |
Thiamine must be
phosphorylated to become metabolically active. It is water-soluble and
therefor is easily excreted. It's main action is to remove CO2 groups
(decarboxylation) in the Krebs cycle and transfer 2-carbon units (transketolation)
in the pentose phosphate shunt.
|
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