Vitamin B-Complex

At Work in Energy Production

The body goes through an amazingly complex series of reactions to turn the food an individual eats into energy. All of the B vitamins are involved in each of these steps, but thiamin is of particular interest. Thiamin plays a critical role in the conversion of blood sugar, glucose, into biological energy. One step in the process needs an enzyme called thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) to work. Without thiamin, the body cannot make various enzymes essential for energy production and the whole process comes to a halt.

Thiamin is also required for proper brain and nervous system functioning.* Thiamin is connected with the brain's ability to use glucose as an energy source and to maintain normal mental functioning.* It is also needed to produce and use the vital neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

Thiamin is also involved in key metabolic reactions in nervous tissue, the heart, the formation of red blood cells, and the maintenance of smooth and skeletal muscle.* Thiamin helps keep your heart muscles elastic and working smoothly, which helps your heart pump strongly and evenly.* In fact, thiamin is so essential for our bodies that lack of thiamin in intravenous nutrition formulations can lead to life-threatening situations.

Scientific References

Abbas ZG and Swai ABM. Evaluation of the efficacy of thiamin and pyridoxine in the treatment of symptomatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy. East Afr Med J. 74: 803-808. 1997.

Akpan T, et al. Right heart failure caused by thiamin deficiency. Press Med. 29(5): 240-1. Feb. 12 2000.

Anon: Lactic acidosis traced to thiamin deficiency related to nationwide shortage of multivitamins for total parenteral nutrition - United States 1997. JAMA. 278:109-111. 1997.

Blass JP, Gleason P, Brush D, et al. Thiamin and Alzheimer's Disease: A Pilot Study. Archives of Neurology. 45: 833-835. 1988.

Mar, Leslie D. and Gheorghiade M. Is there a role for thiamin supplementation in the management of heart failure? American Heart Journal. 131: 1248-1250. 1996.

Marks BD, Marks AD, and CM Smith. Basic Medical Biochemistry: A Clinical Approach. Lippincot Williams and Wilkins. Philadelphia. 1996.

Mimori Y. Katsuoka H. Nakamura S. Thiamine therapy in Alzheimer's disease. Metabolic Brain Disease. 11(1):89-94, 1996 Mar.

Molto JM. [Neurological complications associated with vitamin B1 deficiency (thiamine)]. [Spanish]. Revista de Neurologia. 24(128):389-91, 1996 Apr.

Mouly S. Khuong MA. Cabie A. Saimot AG. Coulad JP. Beri-Beri and thiamine deficiency in HIV infection [letter]. AIDS. 10(8):931-2, 1996 Jul.

Murray, Frank. Bone Up on B Vitamins: Part One. Better Nutrition. 51(10). October, 1989.

Periera VG, Rindi G, Patrini C, et el. Shoshin beriberi: Report of two successfully treated patients with hemodynamic documentation. American Journal of Cardiology. 53:1467. 1984.

Rodriguez-Martin JL. Lopez-Arrieta JM. Qizilbash N. Thiamine for Alzheimer's disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [computer file]. (2):CD001498, 2000.

Skelton WP and Skelton NK. Thiamin deficiency neuropathy: It's still common today. Postgraduate Medicine. 85(8): 301-306, 1989.

Suzuki S, Kumanomido T, Nagata E, et al. Optic neuropathy from thiamin deficiency. Internal Medicine. 36:352. 1997.

Te Water W. Jellesma-Eggenkamp MJ. Bruijns E. [Failure in self care and heart failure, thiamine deficiency in geriatric patients]. [Dutch] Tijdschrift voor Gerontologie en Geriatrie. 27(3):97-101, 1996 Jun.

Tjandra BS and Janknegt RA. Neurogenic impotence and lower urinary tract symptoms due to vitamin B1 deficiency in chronic alcoholism. Journal of Urology. 157: 954-955. 1997.

Valerio G. Franzese A. Poggi V. Patrini C. Laforenza U. Tenore A. Lipophilic thiamine treatment in long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Acta Diabetologica. 36(1-2):73-6, 1999 Jun.

Werbach, Melvyn R. Nutritional Influences on Illness. Keats Publishing. New Canaan, CT. p. 493. 1988.

Wilkinson TJ. Hanger HC. Elmslie J. George PM. Sainsbury R. The response to treatment of subclinical thiamine deficiency in the elderly. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 66(4):925-8, 1997 Oct.

Wodak, Alex. Thiamin Fortification in Alcohol. The Medical Journal of Australia. 152: 97-99. January 15, 1990.

* This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.