Vitamin B1...

Vitamin B1

Vitamin B1, also known as Thiamine, is essential for the breakdown and utilisation of carbohydrates. This ‘metabolism’ of carbohydrate helps to make energy available in the body. Vitamin B1 is also essential for blood formation, for proper digestion, and for the transmission of certain types of nerve signal. Because vitamin B1 is important in transmitting messages sent to and from the brain it plays an essential role in cognitive activity and certain brain functions.

Like most B vitamins, thiamine is found in all cereals. Vitamin B1 is also found in a wide range of foods including pork, potatoes, oranges, fish, cheese, peanuts, and red kidney beans.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin B1 is 1.4 mg. Because vitamin B1 is a water-soluble vitamin, any excess is excreted by the body making it safe to take at relatively high doses.