Vitamin B1

What Are "Star" Ratings?

a7_3star Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit.

a7_2star Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit.

a7_1star For an herb, supported by traditional use but minimal or no scientific evidence. For a supplement, little scientific support.

Our proprietary “Star-Rating” system was developed to help you easily understand the amount of scientific support behind each supplement in relation to a specific health condition. While there is no way to predict whether a vitamin, mineral, or herb will successfully treat or prevent associated health conditions, our unique ratings tell you how well these supplements are understood by the medical community, and whether studies have found them to be effective for other people.

For over a decade, our team has combed through thousands of research articles published in reputable journals. To help you make educated decisions, and to better understand controversial or confusing supplements, our medical experts have digested the science into these three easy-to-follow ratings. We hope this provides you with a helpful resource to make informed decisions towards your health and well-being.

This supplement has been used in connection with the following health conditions:

Used for	Amount	Why
Alzheimer’s Disease	3 grams daily	Supplementing with vitamin B1 might slow Alzheimer’s disease progression in people whose vitamin B1–dependent enzymes have low activity.
Alzheimer’s Disease 3 grams daily Vitamin B1 is involved in nerve transmission in parts of the brain (called cholinergic neurons) that deteriorate in Alzheimer’s disease.¹^{, 2} The activity of vitamin B1-dependent enzymes has been found to be lower in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.³ It has therefore been suggested that vitamin B1 supplementation could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Two double-blind trials have reported small but significant improvements of mental function in people with Alzheimer’s disease who took 3 grams a day of vitamin B1, compared to those who took placebo.⁴^{, 5} However, another double-blind trial using the same amount for a year found no effect on mental function.⁶ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Anemia and Genetic Thiamine-Responsive Anemia	10 to 20 mg daily	Rare genetic disorders can cause anemias that may improve with large amounts of supplements such as vitamin B1.
Anemia and Genetic Thiamine-Responsive Anemia 10 to 20 mg daily Deficiencies of iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid are the most common nutritional causes of anemia.⁷ Although rare, severe deficiencies of several other vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A,⁸ ^{, 9} vitamin B2,¹⁰ vitamin B6,¹¹ ^{, 12} vitamin C,¹³ and copper,¹⁴ ^{, 15} can also cause anemia by various mechanisms. Rare genetic disorders can cause anemias that may improve with large amounts of supplements such as vitamin B1.¹⁶ ^{, 17}

Used for	Amount	Why
Hepatitis	100 mg daily	In a preliminary report, three patients with chronic hepatitis B had an improvement in the severity of their hepatitis after supplementing with thiamine (vitamin B1).
Hepatitis 100 mg daily In a preliminary report, three patients with chronic hepatitis B had an improvement in the severity of their hepatitis after taking 100 mg of thiamine (vitamin B1) per day.¹⁸ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Low Back Pain (Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6)	Take under medical supervision: 50 to 100 mg each of vitamins B1 and B6, and 250 to 500 mcg of vitamin B12, all taken three times per day	A combination of vitamin B1, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 may prevent a common type of back pain linked to vertebral syndromes and may reduce the need for anti-inflammatory medications.
Low Back Pain Take under medical supervision: 50 to 100 mg each of vitamins B1 and B6, and 250 to 500 mcg of vitamin B12, all taken three times per day A combination of vitamin B1, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 has proved useful for preventing a relapse of a common type of back pain linked to vertebral syndromes,¹⁹ as well as reducing the amount of anti-inflammatory medications needed to control back pain, according to double-blind trials.²⁰ Typical amounts used have been 50–100 mg each of vitamins B1 and B6, and 250–500 mcg of vitamin B12, all taken three times per day.²¹ ^{, 22} Such high amounts of vitamin B6 require supervision by a doctor. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Type 1 Diabetes	25 mg daily, with 50 mg of vitamin B6 daily	People with type 1 diabetes may be deficient in vitamin B1. Supplementing with vitamin B1 may restore levels and improve symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.
Type 1 Diabetes 25 mg daily, with 50 mg of vitamin B6 daily Blood levels of vitamin B1 (thiamine) have been found to be low in people with type 1 diabetes.²³ A controlled trial in Africa found that supplementing with both vitamin B1 (25 mg per day) and vitamin B6 (50 mg per day) led to significant improvement of symptoms of diabetic nerve damage (neuropathy) after four weeks.²⁴ However, since this was a trial conducted among people in a vitamin B1–deficient developing country, these improvements might not occur in other people with diabetes. Another trial found that combining vitamin B1 (in a special fat-soluble form) and vitamin B6 plus vitamin B12 in high but variable amounts led to improvement in some aspects of diabetic neuropathy in 12 weeks.²⁵ As a result, some doctors recommend that people with diabetic neuropathy supplement with vitamin B1, though the optimal level of intake remains unknown. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Type 2 Diabetes and Diabetic Neuropathy (Vitamin B6)	25 mg daily, with 50 mg of vitamin B6 daily	Taking vitamin B1 combined with vitamin B6 may improve symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.
Type 2 Diabetes and Diabetic Neuropathy 25 mg daily, with 50 mg of vitamin B6 daily A controlled trial in Africa found that supplementing with both vitamin B1 (25 mg per day) and vitamin B6 (50 mg per day) led to significant improvement of symptoms of diabetic neuropathy after four weeks.²⁶ However, since this was a trial conducted among people in a vitamin B1–deficient developing country, these improvements might not occur in other people with diabetes. Another trial found that combining vitamin B1 (in a special fat-soluble form) and vitamin B6 plus vitamin B12 in high but variable amounts led to improvement in some aspects of diabetic neuropathy in 12 weeks.²⁷ As a result, some doctors recommend that people with diabetic neuropathy supplement with vitamin B1, though the optimal level of intake remains unknown.

Used for	Amount	Why
Type 2 Diabetes and Diabetic Neuropathy (Vitamin B12)	Refer to label instructions	Taking vitamin B1 combined with vitamin B12 may improve symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.
Type 2 Diabetes and Diabetic Neuropathy A controlled trial in Africa found that supplementing with both vitamin B1 (25 mg per day) and vitamin B6 (50 mg per day) led to significant improvement of symptoms of diabetic neuropathy after four weeks.²⁸ However, since this was a trial conducted among people in a vitamin B1–deficient developing country, these improvements might not occur in other people with diabetes. Another trial found that combining vitamin B1 (in a special fat-soluble form) and vitamin B6 plus vitamin B12 in high but variable amounts led to improvement in some aspects of diabetic neuropathy in 12 weeks.²⁹ As a result, some doctors recommend that people with diabetic neuropathy supplement with vitamin B1, though the optimal level of intake remains unknown.

Used for	Amount	Why
Alcohol Withdrawal	Refer to label instructions	Supplementing with vitamin B1 (thiamine) may prevent brain damage and nerve disorders in people with alcoholism, including those withdrawing from alcohol.
Alcohol Withdrawal Thiamine deficiency is very common among alcoholics, including those who are withdrawing from alcohol. Even short-term thiamine deficiency can cause irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Cardiomyopathy and Wet Beri Beri	Refer to label instructions	People with cardiomyopathy caused by severe vitamin B1 deficiency (known as wet beri beri) generally require intravenous vitamin B1, followed by oral supplementation.
Cardiomyopathy and Wet Beri Beri The small proportion of people with cardiomyopathy whose disease is due to severe vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency (known as wet beri beri) generally require intravenous vitamin B1, followed by oral supplementation. Vitamin B1 does not appear to be helpful for other types of cardiomyopathy. People requiring vitamin B1 for cardiomyopathy must first be diagnosed as having wet beri beri, and treatment must be supervised by a healthcare professional.

Used for	Amount	Why
Dysmenorrhea	Refer to label instructions	Vitamin B1 appears to relieve dysmenorrheal in cases of vitamin B1 deficiency. It is not known whether supplementing would relieve the condition in women who are not deficient.
Dysmenorrhea In a double-blind trial, adolescents living in India who were suffering from dysmenorrhea took 100 mg of vitamin B1 (thiamine) per day for three months. Eighty-seven percent of those treated experienced marked relief of dysmenorrhea symptoms.³⁰ However, vitamin B1 deficiency is relatively common in India, whereas it is rare in the Western world, except among alcoholics. It is not known whether vitamin B1 supplementation would relieve dysmenorrhea in women who are not B1 deficient. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Fibromyalgia	Refer to label instructions	People with fibromyalgia may be deficient in vitamin B1. Supplementing with the vitamin may correct the deficiency and improve symptoms.
Fibromyalgia Some studies have found low vitamin B1 (thiamine) levels and reduced activity of some thiamine-dependent enzymes among people with fibromyalgia.³¹ ^{, 32} The clinical significance of these findings remains unknown. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
HIV and AIDS Support	Refer to label instructions	People with AIDS often have thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, which may contribute to some neurological abnormalities, supplementing with the vitamin may help.
HIV and AIDS Support In HIV-positive people with B-vitamin deficiency, the use of B-complex vitamin supplements appears to delay progression to and death from AIDS.³³ Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency has been identified in nearly one-quarter of people with AIDS.³⁴ It has been suggested that a thiamine deficiency may contribute to some of the neurological abnormalities that are associated with AIDS. Vitamin B6 deficiency was found in more than one-third of HIV-positive men; vitamin B6 deficiency was associated with decreased immune function in this group.³⁵ In a population study of HIV-positive people, intake of vitamin B6 at more than twice the recommended dietary allowance (RDA is 2 mg per day for men and 1.6 mg per day for women) was associated with improved survival.³⁶ Low blood levels of folic acid and vitamin B12 are also common in HIV-positive people.³⁷ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Multiple Sclerosis	Refer to label instructions	Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency may contribute to nerve damage. Researchers have found that injections of thiamine or thiamine combined with niacin may reduce symptoms.
Multiple Sclerosis Deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1) may contribute to nerve damage.³⁸ Many years ago, researchers found that injecting thiamine³⁹ into the spinal cord or using intravenous thiamine combined with niacin⁴⁰ in people with MS led to a reduction in symptoms. Using injectable vitamins requires medical supervision. No research has yet studied the effects of oral supplementation with B vitamins in people with MS. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Pre- and Post-Surgery Health	Refer to label instructions	Vitamin B1, given as intramuscular injections before surgery, resulted in less reduction of immune system activity after surgery in one study.
Pre- and Post-Surgery Health Vitamin B1, given as intramuscular injections of 120 mg daily for several days before surgery, resulted in less reduction of immune system activity after surgery in a preliminary trial.⁴¹ In a controlled trial, an oral B vitamin combination providing 100 mg of B1, 200 mg of vitamin B6, and 200 mcg of vitamin B12 daily given for five weeks before surgery and for two weeks following surgery also prevented post-surgical reductions in immune activity.⁴² However, no research has explored any other benefits of B vitamin supplementation in surgery patients. Learn More

Also indexed as:

thiamine,
vitamin B1

About this treatment

How to Use It

While the ideal intake is uncertain, one study reported the healthiest people consumed more than 9 mg per day. The amount found in many multivitamin supplements (20–25 mg) is more than adequate for most people.

Vitamin B1 is nontoxic, even in very high amounts.

Where to Find It

Wheat germ, whole wheat, peas, beans, enriched flour, fish, peanuts, and meat are all good sources of vitamin B1.

Possible Deficiencies

A decline in vitamin B1 levels occurs with age, irrespective of medical condition. Deficiency is most commonly found in alcoholics, people with malabsorption conditions, and those eating a very poor diet. It is also common in children with congenital heart disease. People with chronic fatigue syndrome may also be deficient in vitamin B1. Individuals undergoing regular kidney dialysis may develop severe vitamin B1 deficiency, which can result in potentially fatal complications. Persons receiving dialysis should discuss the need for vitamin B1 supplementation with their physician.

Interactions

Last Review: 05-11-2011

Learn more about Aisle7, the company.

The information presented in Aisle7 is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2011.

© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

Care Circle

It Seems That You Are Not Logged In...

Join Now

Log In
Help

Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:

Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.

The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.

Adding Someone
Saving Content
Adding Additional Topics & Conditions
Deleting Topics & Conditions

How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?

Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.

How do I save content to my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.

How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.

How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.