Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

What It Is

Thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin. It was isolated in the 1920’s and became one of the first organic compounds to be recognized as a vitamin.

What It Does

Thiamin is involved in many of the body’s functions: nervous system and muscle functioning; the flow of electrolytes in and out of nerve and muscle cells; plus multiple enzyme processes. It also aids in carbohydrate metabolism and the production of hydrochloric acid, which is needed for proper digestion. Because it’s water-soluble, very little thiamin is stored in the body, so depletion can occur in as quickly as 14 days.

Researchers at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom discovered that thiamin deficiency may be the key to a range of vascular problems for people with diabetes. The most significant health problems associated with the condition are microvascular complications like: damage to kidneys, retina and nerves in the arms and legs; plus macrovascular complications, such as heart disease and stroke.

These University of Warwick researchers showed conclusively that diabetic patients are thiamin deficient in blood plasma. The team found that thiamin concentration in blood plasma was decreased 76% in type 1 diabetic patients and 75% in type 2 patients. This huge decrease was previously masked because the conventional way of assessing thiamin levels was to measure the activity of an enzyme called transketolase in red blood cells. Past studies saw normal activity of this enzyme and assumed normal levels of thiamin when the normal enzyme activity was actually due to increased amounts of two proteins in the blood THTR-1 and RFC-1. The increased levels of these proteins were the body’s response to a thiamin deficiency in the body.

Researchers also found that the decreased plasma vitamin B1 concentration was not due to a deficiency of dietary input but it was due to an increased rate of removal of thiamin from the blood into the urine.

Thiamin is just one of 22 ingredients in the Vita-Betic™ blend multi-vitamin, mineral and herb supplement, formulated to meet the dietary needs of diabetics. Click here for more information on the Vita-Betic formula, or click here for information how to receive FREE vitamins.