People who follow a hypocaloric diet for weight loss need higher doses of thiamine than the recommended daily intake of 1.2 mg. Actually, thiamine is vital for the metabolism of carbs, protein, and fat. We can get high dosages either from food or supplements.
What’s the recommended daily intake?
The recommended daily intake of thiamine is 1.2 mg and 1.1 mg for men and women, respectively. Only pregnant and lactating women need higher doses of 1.4 mg. On the contrary, children and teens need lower doses.
On the other hand, getting high dosages from supplements is considered pretty safe.
Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency & obesity!
Certainly, we gain weight when we consume more calories than we burn. Malnutrition can also cause obesity! In fact, it’s estimated that about 30% of obese people are deficient in thiamine![1]
Furthermore, obesity is highly associated with type 2 diabetes. People with diabetes have even higher risk of thiamine deficiency. It’s been reported that thiamine levels are up to 75% lower in people with diabetes.[2,3,4]
The main reason for low levels of thiamine in obese people is poor diet. First, high consumption of refined carbs and simple sugars has been linked to decreased levels of thiamine. These foods have no thiamine. Only healthy foods, such as whole grains and legumes, are good natural sources of thiamine.
Furthermore, the metabolism of foods high in sugar requires high amounts of thiamine. Thus, eating sugar and simple carbs significantly contributes to the depletion of thiamine.
Hence, obese people who follow a diet high in carbs (over 65%) may have lower levels of thiamine.[5]
So, overweight people may have higher thiamine requirements than the recommended daily intake!
Last, but not least, thiamine status is an important indicator of oxidative stress! Chronic oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation are common causes of obesity as well.[6,7]
What does thiamine do to the body?
Thiamine, or vitamin B1, is a water-soluble B-vitamin. It’s crucial for energy metabolism, as it’s involved in glucose, amino acid, and lipid metabolism. Also, thiamine is important for the synthesis of certain hormones and for the proper activity of certain enzymes.[8,9,10,11]
Thiamine deficiency may result in altered mitochondrial activity, impaired oxidative metabolism, and reduced energy production. Many cells and organ systems can be affected as well. Neurons are also pretty vulnerable to thiamine deficit, as they have high-energy requirements.
Memory loss, visual disturbances, and weak muscles are also side effects of chronic thiamine deficiency!
Actually, thiamine is essential for the proper function of most tissues and organs, as it plays a key role in energy metabolism. Hence, thiamine deficiency affects the nervous and cardiovascular system most dramatically, as the brain and the heart need extremely high amounts of energy for their function.
Last but not least, thiamine status is an important indicator of oxidative stress.
High doses of thiamine are necessary during dieting
Getting adequate amounts of thiamine is vital for weigh loss. First, thiamine plays a key role in energy metabolism. It’s involved in glucose, protein, and lipid metabolism!
Actually, thiamine is necessary for converting food into energy. On the contrary, low levels of thiamine may be bad for metabolism, preventing weight loss.
Calcium and magnesium deficiency also negatively affects thiamine levels.
Do I need high doses from supplements to lose weight?
When we lose weight, metabolic changes and stress occur, increasing the body’s demands for certain micronutrients. Thiamine as well. Obese people who want to lose weight should consume higher doses than the recommended daily intake.
Additionally, due to calorie restriction, we consume lower doses of nutrients than usual. Hence, people who follow a hypocaloric diet for weight loss should eat more foods containing thiamine.
Moreover, people who want to lose weight may start exercising in order to burn more calories. But, strenuous exercise depletes thiamine as well!
Also, people who take diuretics lose high amounts of thiamine through urine. Furthermore, thiamine excretion in obese patients with diabetes increases by up to 24-fold!
Moreover, thiamine is pretty vulnerable to heat. Cooking destroys a high percentage of thiamine of food. In addition, tea and coffee contain compounds which bind to thiamine, inhibiting its absorption.
So, obese people who start exercising and dieting may fail to get enough thiamine from food. In this case, they may benefit from taking dietary supplements with thiamine.
Additionally, certain diseases, trauma, and major surgery significantly increase thiamine requirements.
Certainly, following a diet high in thiamine is necessary for weight loss. However, in some cases, taking thiamine supplements is beneficial as well.
You can find a wide variety of thiamine supplements on iHerb.
Above all, you should consult your healthcare provider before taking any dietary supplement or changing your diet.
Maximum safe dose
There aren’t reports of severe adverse effects from high thiamine dosages of 50 mg. Neither from foods nor supplements. Thus, the Food and Nutrition Board hasn’t established a maximum daily limit for thiamine.
However, high doses above 5 mg aren’t absorbed as effectively. Excess thiamine is excreted through urine.
There are thiamine supplements which contain doses up to 500 mg. This dose is hundreds of times higher than the recommended daily intake. Even these extremely high dosages are unlikely to cause any adverse effect.[8]
In any case, avoid taking extremely high dosages of thiamine from supplements for a long time. You should always consult your healthcare provider before taking any dietary supplement.
We can’t get too much thiamine from food.
A list of top 60 foods high in Thiamine
Most animal-derive foods contain thiamine
Whole grains, meat, and fish are the most common dietary sources of thiamine.
Actually, pork is the richest meat in thiamine. Turkey and beef contain modest amounts.
Fish such as trout, tuna, salmon, and sardines contain high amounts of thiamine as well.
Furthermore, dairy contains modest amounts of thiamine. For instance, a glass of cow’s milk contains about 12% and an egg only 2% of the Daily Value, respectively.
| mg/100g | |
| pork | 0.6 |
| bacon | 0.35 |
| beef liver | 0.18 |
| trout | 0.12 |
| tuna | 0.12 |
| salmon | 0.1 |
| turkey | 0.09 |
| sardines | 0.08 |
| anchovies | 0.08 |
| beef | 0.06 |
| milk | 0.06 |
| egg | 0.04 |
| yogurt | 0.02 |
Vegan foods are high in Thiamine
There are many plant-based foods high in thiamine, though. Vegans and vegetarians who follow a balanced diet are unlikely to experience thiamine deficiency.
Whole grains are the main natural sources of thiamine
Also, whole grains are excellent vegan sources of thiamine. As we consume high amounts of grains daily, grains significantly contribute to the daily thiamine intake.
For instance, a slice of bread contains about 15%, while a serving of corn flakes provides up to 27% of the DV, respectively.
| mg/100g | |
| rice, bran | 2.75 |
| corn flakes | 1.34 |
| soy flour | 1.1 |
| bread, rye | 0.43 |
| bread, barley | 0.41 |
| bread, wheat | 0.41 |
| pasta | 0.27 |
| rice, brown | 0.18 |
| oatmeal | 0.17 |
| corn | 0.16 |
| quinoa | 0.11 |
Moreover, we get high doses of thiamine from fortified foods, such as fortified cereals, bread, pasta, and rice!
Keep in mind that heat destroys thiamine. Hence, cooking reduces thiamine content of food. For example, bread has up to 30% less thiamine than flour.
Legumes are high in thiamine
The regular consumption of beans is another way to boost your daily intake of thiamine. A serving of beans may provide more than 30% of the DV!
Green peas and navy beans are the richest legumes in thiamine. A serving contains about 35% DV (Daily Value).
| mg/100g | |
| green peas | 0.25 |
| navy beans | 0.24 |
| pinto beans | 0.19 |
| black beans | 0.19 |
| lentils | 0.17 |
| kidney beans | 0.16 |
| soybeans | 0.16 |
| chickpeas | 0.12 |
| soy milk | 0.04 |
Seeds & nuts are high in thiamine
Furthermore, consuming seeds and nuts regularly makes it easy to meet the recommended daily dose of thiamine.
Flax seeds, chia seeds, and sunflower seeds are particularly rich in thiamine. Just a tbsp provides about 10% DV.
| mg/100g | |
| flax seeds | 1.64 |
| chia seeds | 1.64 |
| sunflower seeds | 1.48 |
| hemp seeds | 1.27 |
| pine nuts | 1.24 |
| macadamia nuts | 1.2 |
| pistachios | 0.7 |
| peanuts | 0.65 |
| hazelnuts | 0.5 |
| walnuts | 0.34 |
| almonds | 0.2 |
| peanut butter | 0.14 |
Other common vegan foods high in thiamine
Actually, baker’s yeast is the richest food in thiamine. Just a tsp provides 0.44 mg or 37% DV!
Spirulina powder is an excellent source of thiamine as well. A tbsp provides 14% DV. Spirulina consumption is safe. It isn’t an iodine-rich food!
| mg/100g | |
| baker’s yeast | 11 |
| spirulina, seaweed | 2.38 |
| tahini | 1.59 |
| garlic powder | 0.44 |
| cayenne pepper | 0.33 |
Spices such as garlic powder and cayenne pepper can also help meet our daily needs.
Last, but not least, consuming tahini is another easy way to boost our daily intake. A tbsp contains 20% DV.
Beverages high in thiamine
Orange juice is the richest beverage in thiamine. A serving provides about 18% of the DV.
Fruits & vegetables contain moderate amounts
Last, but not least, most fruits and vegetables contain low amounts of thiamine. Only asparagus, kale, potatoes, peppers, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, and sweet potatoes contain moderate amounts of thiamine.
| mg/100g | |
| asparagus | 0.16 |
| kale | 0.11 |
| potato | 0.1 |
| pepper | 0.08 |
| spinach | 0.08 |
| broccoli | 0.07 |
| cauliflower | 0.07 |
| avocado | 0.07 |
| sweet potato | 0.06 |
| banana | 0.03 |
| squash | 0.02 |
| apple | 0.02 |