Thiamin (otherwise vitamin B1) is a colorless substance with a crystalline structure, highly soluble in water. It has the chemical formula C12H17N4OS.
In 1912, thiamine (vitamin B1) was first obtained from rice bran. The experiment was carried out by a biochemist from Poland Kazimir Funk. In this article, we will tell you everything about this substance, describe what its benefits for the human body are, how it is used for medicinal purposes, and what forms of release it has. We hope you find this information useful.
What is Vitamin B1 for?
Thiamin is a substance that allows you to convert carbohydrates into glucose, which is considered the main source of energy. If the body does not get enough vitamin B1, it stops digesting food well, which means breaking it down to simple sugars. Therebymetabolism is seriously disturbed, the person begins to experience discomfort and pain: suffers from insomnia, numbness of the limbs, becomes depressed or becomes irritable.
Severe lack of vitamin B1 can lead to beriberi and the occurrence of Beri-Beri disease, which is characterized by damage to the cardiovascular and nervous systems due to an increase in the amount of pyruvic acid in the blood. Symptoms of the disease may include nausea, irritability, tearfulness, pain in the calf muscles, decreased performance.
Thiamin is an essential vitamin whose deficiency in extreme cases can even lead to metabolic coma and death. Vitamin B1 deficiency is caused by nutritional disorders, including malnutrition, excessive consumption of coffee, tea, as well as alcoholism and gastrointestinal disorders. It is important to control your diet and seek qualified medical help if necessary.
Vitamin B1: good for the body
Thiamin is a substance that plays a huge role in maintaining the normal functioning of many organs and body systems. It helps to carry out the proper functioning of the digestive, cardiovascular and circulatory systems, regulates blood pressure, promoting blood circulation through the vessels, strengthens the heart muscle and favorably affects the quality and composition of the blood, reducing its acidity. It also regulates the functioning of the nervous system, beneficially influencing the conduction of nervous excitation in the synapses.
Thiamin for he althy hair and skin
Thiamine is widely used in cosmetology. This is a vitamin necessary to maintain the normal condition of the skin, including the skin of the scalp. With a lack of vitamin B1, not only the skin, but also the hair is seriously affected: their growth slows down, their appearance worsens, they become brittle and dull. To stop hair loss and stimulate hair growth, it is recommended to include foods rich in thiamine in the diet. For hair, this will be the best panacea. If you are deficient in vitamin B1, you should consult your doctor and take medications containing thiamine. Then your hair will be he althy, shiny and elastic.
What foods are rich in thiamine?
A little vitamin B1 is produced by bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, but this amount is not enough for the normal functioning of the body, so various foods are the main source of thiamine. To a greater extent, it is found in plant foods: vegetables, cereals, legumes, and nuts. They are rich in peas, beans and soybeans, as well as broccoli, carrots, spinach, artichokes and rutabaga. Among cereals, buckwheat, oatmeal and millet are distinguished by the content of vitamin B1. Some thiamine is found in animal foods, including beef, veal, pork, and chicken.
A lot of it is found in brewer's yeast and wholemeal baked goods. If it is necessary to compensate for the lack of vitamin B1, it is necessary to consume as many foods withhigh content or additionally take thiamine in ampoules or tablets.
Products containing vitamin B1
The daily requirement for vitamin B1 is:
- adults 1.6 to 2.5mg;
- in the elderly - from 1.2 to 1.4 mg;
- in pregnant women - from 1.3 to 1.9 mg;
- in children - from 0.3 to 1.5 mg.
These figures may vary for a particular individual depending on physical activity, climate and the amount of carbohydrates consumed per day. With a deficiency of vitamin B1, thiamine chloride and thiamine bromide preparations are used for medical purposes. They are synthetic analogues of natural vitamin B1, they are white or slightly yellowish powders, have a specific smell of yeast and are easily soluble in water. Thiamine chloride is available in the form of ampoules (1 ml, 2 ml, 2.5% and 5%) and tablets of various dosages. Thiamine bromide is also available in several flavors:
- tablets 0.0129, 0.00645, 0.00258g (50 per pack);
- 6% and 3% solutions in 1 ml ampoules (pack of 10).
Indications for the use of vitamin B1
Most often, synthetic drugs containing thiamine bromide or chloride powder are prescribed in the presence of hypo- and beriberi, neuralgia, radiculitis, paralysis of various origins. The main reasons for the appointment of vitamin B1 are intoxication with mercury, carbon disulfide, arsenic and methyl alcohol, chronic alcoholism with memory impairment and impaired functioning.peripheral nervous system. Meniere's disease, poliomyelitis, thyrotoxicosis, herpes zoster, encephalomyelitis, Wernicke's disease are also indications for prescribing drugs containing thiamine. Vitamin B1 is also prescribed for patients with gastric ulcer, intestinal atony, and myocardial dystrophy. It also helps people suffering from neurogenic dermatoses, psoriasis and eczema thiamine. The price for it varies between 20-40 rubles.
How to use the drug
Prescribe a drug with thiamine parenterally or orally. Adults are prescribed to take 0.01 g tablets 1 to 5 times a day. The dosage depends on the daily requirement for vitamin B1 and the patient's concomitant diseases. Children under 3 years old are recommended to use the drug at 0.005 g once every two days, children 3-8 years old - three times a day every other day, over 8 years old - 0.01 g up to three times a day.
Usually, the course of taking thiamine is 30 days. If the patient has impaired absorption of the drug in the intestine or there is an urgent need to create high concentrations of thiamine in the blood, parenteral administration is prescribed. Thiamine is administered intramuscularly, the course of treatment may consist of 10 or more injections. Adults are prescribed 1 ml, and children 0.5 ml of vitamin B1 solution once a day. As a rule, thiamine (tablets and ampoules) is well tolerated. Intramuscular injections are painful due to the low pH of the solution. Rarely observed adverse reactions: urticaria, Quincke's edema or pruritus. When the drug enters the veinan allergic reaction may be more serious, even anaphylactic shock is likely, therefore a contraindication to taking synthetic thiamine (vitamin B1) is allergic diseases and a history of intolerance.
