Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

In 1926, the first water soluble vitamin was discovered and was given the name Thiamin, or Vitamin B1. It wasn't until 1934, however, that its actual structure was determined, and the first synthesis of the vitamin occurred in 1936. Shortly after, in 1937, the active co-enzyme of thiamin was discovered. It was called thiamin pyrophosphate, TPP.

The vitamin is not stored in any great amount in the body and so must be obtained daily from dietary and/or other sources. The highest concentrations of thiamin in the body are found in muscles, the heart, liver, kidneys, and the brain.

FUNCTIONS

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) is utilized by the body mainly in the conversion of amino acids, fats, and carbohydrates to energy. Studies have also alluded to the fact that thiamin may be used in the maintenance of the nervous system. In its basic role of energy metabolism, the vitamin participates in oxidative decarboxylation reactions as seen in alpha-keto acids, transfers carbon atoms in transketolation reactions (conversion from acids to energy and by-products), converts glyoxylate to carbon dioxide, thus removing excess glycolic acid and precursors to oxalates. It also helps in the conversion of carbohydrates to fat.

Regarding the possible maintenance use in the physiology of the nervous system, , the vitamin aids in the synthesis of Acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter, and assists in nervous tissue conductivity.

Symptoms observed when there is a deficiency of thiamin are numerous, and can be classically seen in alcoholics (whose diet is composed mainly of highly distilled carbohydrates) and in nursing infants whose mothers consume a diet poor in B vitamins. Improper food preparation is another cause of thiamin depletion. Thiamin is lost when water used to boil vegetables is discarded, when baking soda is incorporated in the preparation of veggies, and when fruits are dried using sulfur dioxide (a destroyer of the vitamin).

Scarcities of vitamin B1 present symptoms which are unmistakable and appear mainly in the neuromuscular, gastrointestinal, and circulatory systems. Several studies demonstrate that more than half of all geriatric patients have a low plasma level of vitamin B1. Researchers have noted that cognitive dysfunction is, many times, apparent long before the serum B1 deficiency is discovered.

Classical symptomology of thiamin deficiency is beriberi, a disease distinguished by edema or muscle wasting, peripheral neuropathy, emaciation (excessive weight loss), tachycardia and congestive heart failure, abnormal EKG readings, and paralysis. Other symptoms of the improper intake of B1 include, Confusion, reduced attention span, memory loss, irritability, personality changes, depression, muscle fatigue, enlarged heart and numbness.

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