Overview

Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is the very first vitamin to be discovered. It is a water-soluble vitamin that is involved in numerous processes in the body that are important for survival. Since our body only has a very small reserve of vitamin B1, we have to consume it daily through food.  

Thiamine serves as a cofactor for some enzymes and must therefore be present so that they can carry out their functions in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Thiamine thus enables our body to be supplied with energy, which is necessary for the function of all our organs. In addition, it plays a role in the transmission of stimuli in the nervous system and is therefore essential for a healthy brain. It plays a role in the formation of some neurotransmitters such as serotonin and myelin, which forms a layer around nerves to enable rapid conduction.  

Thiamine – the most important tasks in brief  

The following thiamine-related health claims have been evaluated and approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) through scientific studies:  

• Thiamine contributes to normal energy metabolism. 
• Thiamine contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system. 
• Thiamine contributes to normal psychological function. 
• Thiamine contributes to the normal functioning of the heart. 

Your daily need for thiamine 

The German Nutrition Society recommends an intake of 1.2-1.3 mg thiamine per day for adult men (19 years and older) and an intake of 1.0 mg thiamine per day for adult women. Pregnant and breastfeeding women have an increased need of 1.2-1.3 mg per day.  

Thiamine is found in animal and plant foods, especially in whole grain products such as whole wheat flour and oatmeal, in wheat germ, in seeds such as sunflower and pine nuts, in muscle meat, especially pork, and in legumes such as peanuts and peas. Since thiamine is sensitive and can easily be lost, you should cook gently to retain as much vitamin B1 as possible. This means, for example, cooking vegetables rather than frying them.  

A diet-related thiamine deficiency usually does not occur in Germany, but usually only as a result of diseases that influence the absorption and metabolism of thiamine. These would be, for example, nausea during pregnancy, gastrointestinal and liver diseases and chronic alcohol abuse.  

Nothing is known about the harmful effects of high doses of vitamin B1, as the excess thiamine is simply excreted by the body.  

How a vitamin thiamine deficiency can manifest itself  

A deficiency of thiamine leads to disruption of carbohydrate metabolism. Without thiamine, our body cannot generate enough energy to function, leading to neurological, cardiovascular and immunological disorders. Severe thiamine deficiency leads to beriberi disease. A distinction is made between dry and wet symptoms. The wet form affects the cardiovascular system. It is manifested by edema and heart failure. The dry form affects the central nervous system. It manifests itself in reflex and movement disorders, muscle weakness and loss of sensation in the extremities. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal.  

Which AgilNature products contain thiamine? 

*Nutrient Reference Value = Percentage of the reference value according to Appendix XIII of the Food Information Regulation (EC) No. 1169/2011.  

Literature: 

1. Thiamine (vitamin B1). DGE. https://www.dge.de/forschung/referenzwerte/thiamin/ (accessed on December 16, 2023)  
2. Polegato BF, Pereira AG, Azevedo PS, Costa NA, Zornoff LAM, Paiva SAR, Minicucci MF. Role of Thiamine in Health and Disease. Nutr Clinic Pract. 2019 Aug;34(4):558-564.  
3. Smith TJ, Johnson CR, Koshy R, Hess SY, Qureshi UA, Mynak ML, Fischer PR. Thiamine deficiency disorders: a clinical perspective. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2021 Aug;1498(1):9-28.  
4. Wiley KD, Gupta M. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Deficiency. 2023 Jul 17. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 30725889.  
5. Calderón-Ospina, CA, & Nava-Mesa, MO (2020). B Vitamins in the nervous system: Current knowledge of the biochemical modes of action and synergies of thiamine, pyridoxine, and cobalamin. CNS neuroscience & therapeutics, 26(1), 5–13.  
6. Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 (Health Claims)