Introduction
Vitamin B1 is found in nuts, beans, and yeast. The body needs it to create energy. Vitamin B1 has been used to improve heart health and ease digestion. It has also been used to manage thiamine deficiency. It can be taken as a pill or powder. It can also be injected into the bloodstream or muscle by a healthcare provider.
Dosages
1 to 1.2 milligrams per day for adults
What Research Shows
May Be Effective
- Heart failure —may improve heart function and ease symptoms D1, D2
- Menstrual cramps—may ease pain E1, E2
- Premenstrual syndrome —may ease symptoms F1
Unlikely to Be Effective
- Glaucoma—unlikely to provide benefit C1
Not Enough Data to Assess
- Alcohol abuse A1
- Alzheimer disease B1
- Heart Failure D1
- Wernicke encephalopathy in anorexia nervosa G1
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Safety Notes
It is likely safe to vitamin B1 in small doses for a short time. Not enough studies have been done to say whether it is safe to take for a long period.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take high doses of vitamin B1.
Interactions
Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse.
References
REFA Alcohol Abuse
REFA1 Day E, Bentham PW, et al. Thiamine for prevention and treatment of Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome in people who abuse alcohol. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(7):CD004033.
REFB Alzheimer Disease
REFB1 Rodríguez-Martín JL, Qizilbash N, et al. Thiamine for Alzheimer's disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001;(2):CD001498.
REFC Glaucoma
REFC1 Ramdas WD, Schouten JSAG, et al. The Effect of Vitamins on Glaucoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2018 Mar 16;10(3). pii: E359.
REFD Heart Failure
REFD1 DiNicolantonio JJ, Niazi AK, et al. Thiamine supplementation for the treatment of heart failure: a review of the literature. Congest Heart Fail. 2013 Jul-Aug;19(4):214-222.
REFD2 Jain A, Mehta R, et al. Determining the Role of Thiamine Deficiency in Systolic Heart Failure: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review. J Card Fail. 2015;21(12):1000-1007.
REFE Menstrual Cramps
REFE1 Hosseinlou A, Alinejad V, et al. The effects of fish oil capsules and vitamin B1 tablets on duration and severity of dysmenorrhea in students of high school Urmia-Iran. Glob J Health Sci. 2014;6(7):124-129.
REFE2 Pattanittum P, Kunyanone N, et al. Dietary supplements for dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Mar 22;3:CD002124.
REFF Premenstrual Syndrome
REFF1 Avdollahifard S, Rahmanian Koshkaki A, et al. The effects of vitamin B1 on ameliorating the premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Glob J Health Sci. 2014;6(6):144-153.
REFG Wernicke Encephalopathy in Anorexia Nervosa
REFG1 Oudman E, Wijnia JW, et al. Preventing Wernicke's encephalopathy in anorexia nervosa: A systematic review. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2018 Oct;72(10):774-779.