But thanks to this water-soluble B vitamin, you're able to turn the starches and sugars in your breakfast bowl into energy. Unlike the United States, many parts of the world still don't fortify cereals with thiamin , also known as vitamin B 1 . Folks living on little but devitalized rice and grains soon become thiamin -deficient and develop a disease called beriberi, with symptoms such as weakness, heart enlargement and limb swelling that make even walking difficult, says Howerde Sauberlich, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. If you dramatically reduce thiamin intake, you reduce the ability of the brain to use glucose. A severe thiamin deficiency not only kills the brain cells responsible for memory but also may cause an increase in the protein that causes Alzheimer's disease, says Dr. Gibson.
Experts say that excess thiamin is easily cleared by the kidneys.
The information given here is designed to help you make informed decisions about your health. In larger amounts, vitamins and minerals can have powerful druglike effects on your body. It is possible to overdose on certain vitamins and minerals, and it is possible to experience side effects. Vitamins and minerals can also interact with medications. For all of these reasons, you should always check with your physician when using doses above the Daily Values.