Thiamine, Thiamin or Vitamin B1, named as the "thio-vitamine" ("sulfur-containing vitamin") is a Vitamin of the B-Complex. First named aneurin for the detrimental neurological effects if not present in the diet, it was eventually assigned the generic descriptor name Vitamin B1.
Vitamin B1 is found in many foods including Yeast, Cereal Grains, Beans, Nuts, and Meat. It is often used in combination with other B Vitamins, and found in many Vitamin B complex products. Vitamin B complexes generally include Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin/Niacinamide), Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin), and Folic acid. However, some products do not contain all of these ingredients and some may include others, such as Biotin, Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), Choline Bitartrate, and Inositol.
People take thiamine for conditions related to low levels of thiamine (thiamine deficiency syndromes), including beriberi and inflammation of the nerves (neuritis) associated with pellagra or pregnancy.
Thiamine is also used for digestive problems including poor appetite, ulcerative colitis, and ongoing diarrhea.
Thiamine is also used for AIDS and boosting the immune system, diabetic pain, heart disease, alcoholism, aging, a type of brain damage called cerebellar syndrome, canker sores, vision problems such as cataracts and glaucoma, motion sickness, and improving athletic performance. Other uses include preventing cervical cancer and progression of kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Some people use thiamine for maintaining a positive mental attitude; enhancing learning abilities; increasing energy; fighting stress; and preventing memory loss, including Alzheimer's disease.
Healthcare providers give thiamine shots for a memory disorder called Wernicke's encephalopathy syndrome, other thiamine deficiency syndromes in critically ill people, alcohol withdrawal, and coma.
