The Unknown Vitamin
B1 also known as Thiamin or Thiamine is the one B vitamin many don’t speak of when it comes to the B complex. Normally you would hear of but not limited to b12 or b6 and the praise of all its benefits and how it can create energy. Fortunately today I bring to you B1 and what I like to call the underdog of the B complex. If you have an high carb diet or just take in alot of sugar in any fashion, always stressed, fatigued, take caffeine daily you may just be onto something today.
Why B1 (Thiamine) Gets Depleted
Well first let’s understand that our foods are not as nutrient dense as they once were. Our fields/soils have become depleted of nutrients through pesticides and agriculture tactics. That is a whole other topic but worth noting. The B1 is responsible for burning fat in the mitochondria, fat/carbohydrate metabolism, development, and function of cells. Now I mentioned before if you have a high carb diet or just consume alot of refined carbs, your body will require more B1 to breakdown those refined carbs & if it’s a consistent diet that doesn’t include B1 foods you may become depleted.
Stress has also been linked to low levels of B1. Hence why you may become or feel drained at times during high level of thinking or stress. High levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) will deplete your B1 stores just as working out depletes your muscle glycogen. Sugars – It’s well known that most diabetics are usually B1 deficient. Interesting to know? So with higher levels of sugar the more and more B1 attempts to go into effect to breakdown these sugars it only has so much ammo, which can create a state of depletion. Unless you have a well balanced diet and account for your B1 intake you may not have enough to supply your body the tools to function optimally.
Deficient or not?
Well interesting to know there is a huge community that believes the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowances) for B1 aren’t where they should be & I can understand that after all the success that I’ve seen. Its very similar to if your a male with optimal zinc levels and took just 15mg more a day what that has done for you testosterone wise. Between male and females the RDA range is from 1.0-1.2mg and .2 more mg if your a female that is pregnant or in lactation. Now yes you can get a blood test for that to see how your doing. If your diabetic I would definitely get tested. But if your one that believes firmly after accounting your food sources for B1 & your research that you would like to try it out, make a documentary. Record your feelings, mood, energy. Many (not recommended) have scaled up to 600-1000mg for fibromyalgia and many other issues/diseases. It was through this scale of high dosage that many individual’s have reported a sense of finally healing the body with functions coming back from corrected nervous system, back pain eliminated, & vitality is just the beginning.
My Experience
The stories and community around this is extremely supportive but doctors seem to not understand it yet(far & few support). This article is not to tell you to start taking high dosages but to inform you of results and experiences shared. Personally I went to my local whole foods after my research of B1(thiamine) & discovery to better health. Ultimately I picked up a B1 100mg. I can tell you now that I said “OMG” after about 15 minutes. My mind felt so clear and the energy and excitement I had for the gym is a memory still in the back of my mind. That was only with 100mg that day. Overtime while waking up I would notice I wasn’t tired when I woke up at all. Even if I missed an hour or 2! I felt like I found the next “super-food” of vitamins. So all good things were happening even muscle recovery was on target. I then decided to scale up weekly going as high as 500mg. This is why I stress in all my articles everyone is different no 2 bodies are the same so enjoy and apply information, but what works for one may not work for you.
With my high dosage of 500mg a day, 3 things I didn’t like started to occur. My energy was up but it was keeping me up. I found myself staying up later & unable to fall asleep. To be fair they say to don’t take it past 5pm as many found themselves forced to stay up at night and unable to sleep. I knew this already and had my B1’s early in the morning. I also started to notice when I would workout I had ABSOLUTELY no pump during my workouts and it was consistent day after day. Why? Because B1 assist the body in removal of Latic acid & with the balance within my body. B1 was overtaking. This didn’t allow my body to buildup latic acid when needed (and yes its important to have) during high demand of body weight training. Lastly I started to feel heart palpitations at random times, not extreme but noticeable.
At this point I slowly winded my body down back to 100mg and now take it every other day. I wake up refresh(like if I didn’t miss any sleep), able to get to bed ontime, enjoy energy that allows me to take on my daily activities and flow through the day rather then drag.
Final Thoughts on B1 (Thiamine)
Like with any supplement or vitamin you sometimes just have to try it. Running test for every supplement you can embark on in life, will add up in extreme healthcare cost. Taking a pre workout, recovery supplement, or fortified protein supplement at the end of the day is something new you introduce to yourself to see if it works without the thought of running to the doctor to ensure it agrees with you. Like I said before the RDA is the baseline of what one should take but we are not all the same. Naturally if you have medical conditions you should be advised by a doctor at all times. But the journey to betterment can sometimes be experimental as you are the only one who can truly understand you. It was the one Vitamin that I decided to try at 100mg that has change my life while also becoming a staple in my supplement regimen.
Medical/Healthcare Disclaimer & Affiliate Disclosure. This post may contain affiliate links.
