Symptoms of Thiamine Deficiency And Toxicity
Symptoms of thiamin deficiency and toxicity can be severe and life changing. Vitamin B1 is a water soluble vitamin and as such, there is no known toxicity in humans from taking thiamine by mouth. Amounts consumed in excess of needs are excreted in the urine so again toxicity is rarely observed.
Doses of thiamin administered parenterally (injectable) in amounts 100 times the required amount have been reported to cause headache, convulsions, muscular weakness, cardiac arrhythmias, and allergic reactions.
If you take it by injection there is a slight chance of some trauma or swelling. If you take the vitamin by mouth and suddenly experience swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or get hives, it is best to call for emergency help right away as you would be having an allergic reaction.
If for some reason you have restricted the intake of thiamine from your diet, you may be experiencing symptoms. These would start with trouble affecting general disposition, stomach problems and heart. Thiamine deficiency as with any essential nutrient deficiency the symptoms will range from mild to severe.
A severe form of deficiency is beriberi and stunts the growth process, causes edema (swelling) in the body and decreases heart function. It can cause weight loss, orientation problems and difficulty walking. These problems if progressing to severe can and do lead to the death when not corrected.
The RDA which is the least amount of the vitamin that you can take that will keep your body from a diseased state of deficiency. For Vitamin B1 that is 1.2 mg per day.
Food sources Thiamin is provided by consumption of whole grains, nuts, fish, pork, dried beans, and enriched grain products.
Symptoms of thiamine deficiency and toxicity once known can be prevented. Eat foods rich in Thiamine and be knowledgeable about the things you put in your body. Good nutritional health is the way to well being.
