How Your Thiamine Intake Could Affect Your Health

I’ve been enjoying writing on the various B vitamins these past few weeks, mainly because I feel as if we (myself included) take many of them for granted.

Admittedly, I believe most of us don’t necessarily struggle to get enough of these vitamins in our diet daily…but plenty of people do.

Especially in America where so many people have a diet that consists primarily of artificial foods.

And even if you don’t actually struggle with deficiencies in these vitamins, it’s still a good idea to understand how they all work together in concert to keep you healthy.

Today I’ll be converting the many health benefits of thiamine, aka vitamin B1.

Thiamine is little discussed, but as you’ll see, incredibly important for normal function.

Without further ado let’s look at all the ways this vitamin helps you.

4 Ways Thiamine Supports Your Health

Thiamine is the first of the B vitamins to be discovered which is why it’s known as vitamin B1. This water-soluble vitamin plays a crucial role in various bodily functions, but probably plays a more significant role in your energy levels than anything else.

I’ll dig into precisely what it does and then give you a list of some of the best sources.

1 - It’s Responsible For Massive Amounts of Energy:

Something that I’ve discussed many times is how we’re “electrical beings.”  What I mean by that is many of the biological processes we employ to get through the day are driven by electrical energy.

Overall, we need various forms of energy to maintain peak function.

Producing is the cornerstone of our capacity to perform daily tasks, both physical and mental.

Thiamine is indispensable for energy production as it acts as a coenzyme in the metabolism of carbohydrates.

You probably know that carbohydrates are broken down into sugar (glucose is what we use) and this is one of the (if not the) primary energy sources our bodies rely on.

Thiamine helps with the metabolism of carbohydrates as it helps the cell’s mitochondria with the conversion of pyruvate into acetyl-CoA, a critical molecule that is used in the Krebs cycle for energy production.

When you get enough thiamine it helps enhance energy levels as it converts the food we eat into usable energy, which is essential for physical activities and mental tasks. Normal thiamine levels are known to prevent the feeling of tiredness, allowing for sustained energy throughout the day.

2 - Thiamine Helps Boost Nervous System Function:

Even though thiamine is helpful at giving you sustained energy, you wouldn’t be able to do anything with that energy if your nervous system was fried.

As it turns out, your nervous system relies heavily on thiamine for smooth operation.

So don’t go skipping out on thiamine containing foods.

Similar to how thiamine breaks down carbohydrates to form energy, it’s also responsible for forming the neurotransmitters, (such as acetylcholine) that your body relies on to transmit signals between nerve cells.

Proper neurotransmitter function is essential for cognitive processes, memory, and mood regulation.

Studies have implicated several neurological conditions to thiamine deficiencies and that is why it’s known to help improve cognitive function as well as helping regulate mood.

Studies have shown that Thiamine deficiencies are linked to irritability and depression, so adequate intake may promote emotional well-being.

3 - Thiamine Can Boost Metabolism:

I’d argue that one of the main issues Americans have with achieving better health has to do with their metabolic health.

When a person’s metabolism is either too slow, or too fast, a myriad of health issues may result (advancement of diseases like Type 2 diabetes or Grave’s disease for instance).

As you learned above, thiamine plays a pivotal role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, which is essential for energy production.

Yet, that’s not all it helps to metabolize. Both fats and proteins are metabolized with the aid of thiamine and this function helps maintain a balanced metabolism, which is crucial for weight management and overall health.

And if I were to recommend my top 5 things to do to benefit your health, maintaining a healthy weight is in there.

Plus, it doesn’t just help metabolize fats, carbs, and protein, it can also help to regulate many of the hormones involved in metabolic processes.

If you’re at all concerned about your weight, I think it’s a good idea to make sure you have enough thiamine in your diet.

4 - Thiamine Helps to Boost Cardiovascular Health: 

Thiamine really is an incredible vitamin.

Its ability to help with nutrient metabolism is one thing, but it goes even deeper than just assisting with the breakdown of these nutrients.

It’s also involved in the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the energy currency of every cell in the human body.

When your ATP levels are enhanced, it supplies your heart with ample amounts of it so that it can continue to beat rhythmically. In fact, if you are ever thiamine deficient, it can lead to conditions like beriberi, which affects heart health by causing an enlarged heart and heart failure.

Studies have shown that when thiamine intake is adequate it can prevent conditions associated with cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension and heart failure.

Not to mention it also aids in maintaining healthy blood vessels, ensuring proper circulation so that while your heart pumps for all its worth the blood is allowed to flow unimpeded through your body.

Thiamine: Promoter Of Overall Vitality

Again, while I doubt many of my health conscious readers are affected by low thiamine levels, there’s a possibility some are.

If you ever struggle to feel energized or you’re not convinced your overall sense of vitality is pegged right then low thiamine levels could be part of the issue.

Fortunately food is the best way to boost thiamine levels.

Here’s a list of some of the best sources:

• Pork (especially lean cuts)
• Fish (like trout and salmon)
• Beans (black beans, kidney beans, lentils)
• Peas
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Green peas
• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Oranges
• Watermelon
• Nutritional yeast

If your diet is based on these kinds of foods and also free of many of the artificial foods out there, then there’s a good chance you’ll benefit from the affects of increased thiamin intake.