Thiamine (aka Vitamin B1) is a colorless substance with a crystalline structure, highly soluble in water. It has the chemical formula C 12 H 17 N 4 OS.
In 1912, thiamine (vitamin B1) was first obtained from rice bran. The experiment was conducted by a biochemist from Poland Casimir Funk. In this article we will tell you everything about this substance, describe what its benefits are for the human body, how it is used for medicinal purposes and what forms of release it has. We hope you find this information useful.
What is vitamin B1 for?
Thiamine is a substance that converts carbohydrates into glucose, which is considered the main source of energy. If the body does not receive enough vitamin B1, it ceases to absorb food well, and therefore, break it down to simple sugars. As a result of this, metabolism is seriously impaired, a person begins to experience discomfort and pain: he suffers from insomnia, numbness of the limbs, falls into depression or becomes irritable.
A serious lack of vitamin B1 can lead to vitamin deficiency and the occurrence of Bery-Bery disease, which is characterized by damage to the cardiovascular and nervous systems due to an increase in the amount of pyruvic acid in the blood. Symptoms of the disease can be nausea, irritability, tearfulness, pain in the calf muscles, decreased performance.
Thiamine is an essential vitamin whose deficiency in extreme cases can even lead to metabolic coma and death. Vitamin B1 deficiency is caused by eating disorders, including malnutrition, excessive consumption of coffee, tea, as well as alcoholism and gastrointestinal disorders. It is important to control the diet of your diet and, if necessary, seek qualified medical help.
Vitamin B1: Benefits to the Body!
Thiamine is a substance that plays a huge role in maintaining the normal functioning of many organs and systems of the body. It helps to ensure the proper functioning of the digestive, cardiovascular and circulatory systems, regulates blood pressure, promoting blood circulation in the vessels, strengthens the heart muscle and favorably affects the quality and composition of the blood, reducing its acidity. It also regulates the functioning of the nervous system, having a beneficial effect on the conduction of nervous excitement in the synapses.
Thiamine for healthy hair and skin
Thiamine is widely used in cosmetology. This is a vitamin necessary to maintain normal skin condition, including the skin of the scalp. With a lack of vitamin B1, not only the skin, but also the hair is seriously affected: their growth slows down, their appearance worsens, they become brittle and dull. To stop hair loss and stimulate hair growth, it is recommended to include in the diet food rich in thiamine. For hair, this will be the best panacea. In case of vitamin B1 deficiency, it is necessary to consult a doctor and take medications containing thiamine. Then your hair will be healthy, shiny and supple.
What foods are rich in thiamine?
Bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract produce a little vitamin B1, but this amount is not enough for the normal functioning of the body, therefore various foods are the main source of thiamine. To a greater extent, it is found in plant foods: vegetables, cereals, legumes, and nuts. They are rich in peas, beans and soy, as well as broccoli, carrots, spinach, artichokes and rutabaga. Among cereals, buckwheat, oatmeal and millet are distinguished by the content of vitamin B1. A certain amount of thiamine is found in animal foods, including beef, veal, pork, chicken.
A lot of it is found in brewer's yeast and coarse flour bakery products. If it is necessary to fill the deficiency of vitamin B1, it is necessary to consume as many foods as possible with its high content or take thiamine in ampoules or tablets.
Vitamin B1 preparations
The daily requirement for vitamin B1 is as follows:
- in adults, from 1.6 to 2.5 mg;
- in the elderly - from 1.2 to 1.4 mg;
- in pregnant women - from 1.3 to 1.9 mg;
- in children, from 0.3 to 1.5 mg.
These indicators can vary for a particular individual, depending on physical activity, climate and the amount of carbohydrates consumed per day. With vitamin B1 deficiency, thiamine chloride and thiamine bromide are used for medical purposes. They are synthetic analogues of natural vitamin B1, are white or slightly yellowish powders, have a specific smell of yeast and are readily soluble in water. Thiamine chloride is produced in the form of ampoules (1 ml, 2 ml, 2.5% and 5%) and tablets of various dosages. Thiamine bromide is also produced in several versions:
- tablets 0.0129, 0.00645, 0.00258 g (50 pcs per pack);
- 6% and 3% solutions in 1 ml ampoules (10 pcs. Per pack).
Indications for the use of vitamin B1
Most often, synthetic drugs containing thiamine bromide or chloride powder are prescribed in the presence of hypo- and vitamin deficiency, neuralgia, radiculitis, paralysis of various origins. The main reasons for the administration of vitamin B1 are intoxication with mercury, carbon disulfide, arsenic and methyl alcohol, chronic alcoholism with memory impairment and impaired peripheral nervous system functioning. Meniere's disease, poliomyelitis, thyrotoxicosis, shingles, encephalomyelitis, Wernicke's disease are also indications for prescribing medications containing thiamine. Vitamin B1 is also prescribed for patients with gastric ulcer, intestinal atony, myocardial dystrophy. Thiamine also helps people suffering from neurogenic dermatoses, psoriasis and eczema. The price for it varies between 20-40 rubles.
Method of using the drug
Prescribe a drug with thiamine parenterally or orally. Adults are prescribed to take 0.01 g tablets from 1 to 5 times a day. The dosage depends on the daily requirement for vitamin B1 and the patient's concomitant diseases. Children under 3 years old are recommended to use the drug at 0.005 g once every two days, children 3-8 years old - three times a day every other day, over 8 years old - 0.01 g to three times a day.
The usual course of taking thiamine is 30 days. If the patient has impaired absorption of the drug in the intestine or there is an urgent need to create high concentrations of thiamine in the blood, parenteral administration is prescribed . Thiamine is administered intramuscularly, the course of treatment may consist of 10 or more injections. Adults are prescribed 1 ml, and children 0.5 ml of a solution of vitamin B1 once a day. As a rule, thiamine (tablets and ampoules) is well tolerated. Intramuscular injections are painful due to the low pH of the solution. Adverse reactions are rarely observed: urticaria, Quincke's edema, or skin itching. If the drug enters a vein, an allergic reaction can be more serious, even anaphylactic shock is likely, therefore, allergies and a history of intolerance are a contraindication to taking the synthetic drug thiamine (vitamin B1).