Vitamin B1 - Thiamin

Vitamin B1 is also called thiamin. A severe deficiency of thiamin is associated with diseases of the nervous system and poor digestion, resulting in overall poor health. Many Oriental countries suffer with these types of diseases because they eat predominantly polished rice, which is devoid of vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 helps maintain a normal appetite, promotes good digestion and the absorption of nutrients, and also combats constipation. Vitamin B1 plays an important role in burning carbohydrate foods in the body. It is also essential for normal reproduction and lactation.

Vitamin B1 is found in the outer coats and embryo of grains. Polishing rice and the manufactured processing of breads and cereals removes this vitamin. In the United States, the manufacturers of white flour and refined cereals add vitamin B1 back into their processed products, but this isn’t the same as eating the vitamin in its natural state. I’ve always wondered where the ‘replacement vitamins’ come from anyway. Do the manufacturing companies salvage the natural vitamins from their original extraction and insert them back into the processed food product? Do they buy the vitamins from a health food store and dump them into their man-made concoctions in bulk? Are the vitamins chemical reproductions of the natural vitamins?

The foods that provide natural vitamin B1 include:

• Lean meats

• Liver

• Kidney

• Port

• Yeast

• Whole-grain cereals and flour

• Wheat germ

• Legumes

• Beans

• Peanuts

• Egg yolk

• Milk

• Oranges

• Pineapple

• Grapefruit

• Tomatoes

• Peas

• Potatoes

• Green leafy vegetables

Posted September 2004 | Permanent Link


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