Vitamins

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Thiamine (B_1) was one of the first compounds recognized as a vitamin. It is involved in the nervous system and muscular function. We have a small amount of thiamine already present in our body and it only takes about fourteen days for our bodies to have a thiamine deficiency. If our thiamine levels are to low this can cause complications with the brain, muscles, heart, stomach, and intestines.

Vitamin B_1 is derived from grains, nuts, wheat germ, fish, poultry, legumes, beef, brewer’s yeast, milk, oats, oranges, pork, rice, seeds, and whole grain cereals.

Thiamine has many benefits to the body such as keeping the mucous membranes healthy, it’s essential for the breakdown of fat and protein. It helps convert food into fuel to help our bodies stay energized. It is also used majorly in the medical field. Of course by taking vitamin b_1 it will improve someone who has a thiamine deficiency, but it’s deeper than that. By taking a high dosage of thiamine (100 mg) three times a day for three months consecutively, this will decrease the amount of Albumin in the urine in people with type 2 diabetes. Albumin in the urine is a sign of kidney damage. Also taking thiamine as a part of your daily diet reduces the risk of someone developing cataracts. For those who are unaware dysmenorrhea is painful menstruation, taking thiamine for ninety days stops pain associated with menstruation in women twelve to twenty-one. The following is a list of other medical situations thiamine is used for; Dry Beriberi (muscle abnormalities, leg cramps, muscle atrophy), Wet Beriberi (fast heart beat, pulmonary edema, fluid in the legs),  Brain Abnormalities (Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (difficult walking, haziness, involuntary eye movement, partial paralysis of the eyes)), and Infantile Beriberi ( Heart failure, loss of reflexes, aphonia).

Now on the brighter side of the medical story of vitamin B_1, it does not only help when a person is sick or ill it also has affects one who is healthy. One of the main functions it does in the body is making sure digestion is happening properly by assisting with the secretion of hydrochloric acid which is essential for digestion. Thiamine is also an antioxidant so it protects the body from signs of aging such as wrinkles and age spots. The older we get the harder it is to remember things; by adding vitamin B_1 to your diet it improves your memory and powers of concentration. As we all know red blood cells are very important assets in our body they keep us healthy, active, and energized. Thiamine plays an important role in the production of red blood cells and making sure the body has proper cardiac functions.