• breaking down sugar (carbohydrate) molecules from food
• creating certain neurotransmitters (brain chemicals)
• producing fatty acids
• synthesizing certain hormones
• Foods with thiamin

• whole grains and fortified bread, cereal, pasta, and rice
• pork
• trout
• mussels
• acorn squash
• legumes, such as black beans and soybeans
• seeds
• nuts
• Thiamin(vitamin B1) deficiency is not common in the United States. However, certain groups of people may not get enough thiamin(vitamin B1), including:
• those with alcohol dependence
• older adults
• those with HIV or AIDS
• those with diabetes
• those who have heart failure
• those who have had bariatric surgery

Symptoms of thiamin(vitamin B1) deficiency

A person with a thiamin (vitamin B1) deficiency may experience:

• weight loss
• little or no appetite
• memory problems or confusion
• heart problems
• tingling and numbness in the hands and feet
• loss of muscle mass
• poor reflexes

Alcohol dependence can cause a person to develop a thiamin(vitamin B1) deficiency. This can cause Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), which may result in tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, memory loss, and confusion.

WKS can lead Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE), which can be life threatening. A reviewTrusted Source from 2017 found that people with WE may benefit from high doses of thiamin(vitamin B1).