Vitamin B1 – Thiamine

Optimal dose 75 mg/day

Vitamin B1 is critical for proper brain functioning, making it especially important for those with "brain fog." It is also critical for heart function. In fact, a major cause of death in the U.S. is congestive heart failure, which is one symptom of vitamin B1 deficiency. Despite 33% of CHF patients being low in thiamine, this easy treatment aid is ignored. Thiamine is also used therapeutically in dementia, anxiety, neuropathy, fatigue, alcoholism, confusion, depression, pain, memory loss, and disequilibrium.

In a double blind study by Dr. David Benton, an expert on thiamine, supplementation with vitamin B1 improved mood — possibly by increasing synthesis of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is associated with memory. Giving 50 mg/day of thiamine (vs. placebo) was associated with reports of being more clearheaded, composed and energetic. These influences took place in subjects whose thiamine status, according to traditional criteria, was adequate. Learning disorders as well as behavioral problems in young children (sometimes to the point of hospitalization) as well as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) can improve with a high dose thiamine supplement (give with a B complex vitamin). Professor Michael Gold also found that people with Alzheimer’s have lower serum thiamine levels than those with other types of dementia.

More Information Online

Nutritional primer

We have a 20,000 word primer on nutrition at our website that provides more detail with study references on each nutrient. Click here to visit the "Vitamin B1" section of our primer.