Vitamin B1

✅ What Is Vitamin B1?

Vitamin B1 is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin. Your body uses it to convert carbohydrates into energy and to support proper function of the nerves, muscles, and brain.

Since it’s water-soluble and not stored in large amounts, you need to get it regularly from food.

🔋 What Does B1 Do in the Body?

⚙️ 1. Energy Metabolism

• Helps convert glucose (from food) into ATP (cellular energy)

• Works as a coenzyme in key metabolic pathways

🧠 2. Nervous System Function

• Supports nerve signal transmission

• Maintains proper muscle coordination and reflexes

• Important for mental clarity, memory, and mood

❤️ 3. Heart & Muscle Support

• Aids in muscle contraction, including the heart

• Helps prevent fatigue and weakness

⚠️ Signs of Thiamine Deficiency

• Fatigue and irritability

• Poor concentration or memory

• Tingling or numbness in hands and feet

• Muscle weakness

• Loss of appetite

• In severe cases:

  • Beriberi (affects heart and nerves)

  • Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (linked to alcohol abuse and brain damage)

Alcohol abuse is a major risk factor for B1 deficiency, as it impairs absorption and increases loss.

🥜 Where to Get Vitamin B1

✅ Top Food Sources:

Food Type

Whole grains Brown rice, oats, whole wheat bread

Legumes Lentils, black beans, navy beans

Nuts & seeds Sunflower seeds, flax, peanuts

Pork One of the richest sources

Liver Nutrient-dense

Fortified foods Breakfast cereals, plant milks

Green peas, asparagus Plant-based boosts

💊 Supplements:

• Found in B-complex vitamins or as standalone thiamine

• Available as thiamine hydrochloride or benfotiamine (a fat-soluble form with better absorption for some people)

• Commonly used for:

  • Stress recovery

  • Alcohol recovery programs

  • Nerve support in diabetics

🛑 Can You Get Too Much?

• Very rare with thiamine—excess is excreted in urine

• No known toxicity from food or normal supplements

🧠 Final Thoughts

Vitamin B1 is like the spark plug of your metabolism—it turns food into fuel and keeps your nerves and mind firing properly.

To keep levels steady:

• Eat a variety of whole plant foods

• Limit excessive alcohol

• Consider a B-complex supplement during high-stress times