History:
A Japanese navy surgeon named Kanehiro Takaki started the discovery of Vitamin B1 or thiamine in 1884 after noticing the connection between diet and beriberi in his crew members (Londale, 2006). In 1897, a military doctor in the Dutch Indies, Christiaan Eijkman, discovered thiamine by noticing paralysis in chickens whose diets were made up of cooked, polished rice (Londale, 2006). He also saw that if rice polishing ceased, the paralysis reversed (Londale, 2006). In 1936, thiamine was first produced by Barend Coenraad Petrus Jansen and Willem Federik Donath, two Dutch chemists, through isolating and crystallizing the active component based on the structure determined by a United States chemist- Robert Runnels Willams (Lonsdale, 2006).
A Little Science:
Thiamine diphosphate (TDP) or thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) is the main form of thiamine in the human body. This form is used in cellular reactions to help break down carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, and fats to create energy for cells to use. Minerals also play a role in the absorption of vitamins. For example, regarding thiamine, magnesium is needed to change free thiamin to TDP/TPP in the liver.
Food as Medicine:
Thiamine is found in whole grains, brown rice, pork, poultry, soybeans, nuts, dried beans, peas, and fortified or enriched grain products such as cereals, infant formulas, and bread. Though, the major food sources of thiamine are pork, sunflower seeds, and legumes (Gropper et al., 2022). Foods contain compounds that can interact with each other, affecting the absorption of the vitamin. For example, thiaminase and polyhydroxyphenols are compounds responsible for destroying thiamine. Examples of polyhydroxyphenols are chlorogenic, tannic, and caffeic acids found in coffee, tea, and certain fruits and vegetables like blueberries, brussels sprouts, and red cabbage (Gropper et al., 2022). Vitamin C and citric acid have the ability to prevent the actions of thiaminases and polyhydroxyphenols, thus saving thiamine to allow for its absorption.
Deficiency:
Inadequate consumption of thiamine for long periods can lead to thiamine deficiency. Thiamine deficiency can be due to poor intake through situations such as long-term alcohol consumption; poor absorption in cases where the body is having difficulty absorbing nutrients from food or malabsorption; increased loss of thiamine in instances like diarrhea; increased thiamine utilization during pregnancy, for example; and through medications such as diuretics. Deficiencies that go untreated can lead to beriberi disorder, which has two types, wet and dry. The wet type usually shows heart-related symptoms such as right-sided heart failure with respiratory distress- a lung condition that causes difficulty breathing- an enlarged heart, warm arms and legs, quick heartbeat, and respiratory distress. The dry type shows symptoms related to the nervous system, such as peripheral neuropathy, malaise, muscle weakness, seizures, or brisk tendons reflexes. Acute beriberi is another form of beriberi, often found in developing countries, but is still pretty rare. Individuals with acute beriberi usually experience lactic acidosis and vomiting. When thiamine deficiency becomes severe, Wernicke encephalopathy can occur and present with a classic triad of symptoms which are (1) ataxia or incoordination, (2) abnormalities of the eye, and (3) changes in the levels of consciousness. If Wernicke encephalopathy is not treated, the condition can progress to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), where individuals display the classic triad of symptoms along with memory loss and psychosis.
Conclusion:
Thiamine is a B vitamin needed to break down carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, and fats to create energy for cells to function properly. Some major food sources of thiamine include pork, sunflower seeds, and legumes. Currently, no toxicities have been seen with taking high amounts of thiamine. But, taking no to low amounts of vitamin B1 can lead to disorders such as beriberi which can be categorized as wet, displaying heart symptoms, dry, displaying symptoms involving the nervous system, or acute, which is quite rare. If initial thiamine deficiencies go untreated, it can lead to Wernicke encephalopathy, which presents with more symptoms involving the nervous system. If Wernicke encephalopathy is not treated, it can progress to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a condition commonly seen in chronic alcoholics. Though thiamine deficiencies generally are common in long-term alcoholics, those with liver problems and diseases may also be at risk for deficiency since the liver is needed to change the free form of thiamin, found in foods, to TDP/TPP, the active form in humans required for our cells to function.
References:
1. Gropper, S.S., Smith, J.L., Carr, T.P. (2022). Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. Cengage Learning.
2. Lonsdale, D. (2006). A Review of the Biochemistry, Metabolism and Clinical Benefits of Thiamin€ and Its Derivatives. eCAM. 3(1). 49-59. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1375232/pdf/nek009.pdf
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