So there are like eight different B vitamins so I have decided to split them up into different posts just to make things easier and less confusing. What makes a B vitamin a B vitamin is that they are all what are known as metabolic co-enzymes, which basically means they are needed in the chemical reactions used by the body to break down and utilise our food. They all have this same general function but are used in different reactions and for different purposes. In this post I will focus on thiamin and riboflavin, better known as vitamins B1 and B2.
So What Are Vitamins B1 and B2?
You have probably seen the words thiamin and riboflavin thrown around as additives to breakfast cereals like cocopops in order to give them some form of nutritional benefit so you’re not eating *complete* shite. You’ve probably also seen them in vitamin waters and things like that promising an energy boost. In essence these two vitamins are water-soluble B vitamins, meaning they dissolve in water and are therefore not stored by the body, and they are coenzymes meaning they are needed to carry out certain reactions within the body. If we don’t consume enough of these vitamins, the reactions that they relate to cannot take place leading to some pretty serious deficiency diseases which I will explore later on in this post.
The Importance of Thiamin
Thiamin was first discovered as an important nutrient in the years 1910-1913 when a Dr. Edward Vedder discovered that rice bran extract (high in B1) could be used to treat beriberi, a disease that causes heart failure, paralysis and mental decline which was later to be discovered as a direct consequence of thiamin deficiency. Thiamin is needed by the body for cells to produce energy which is a reason why B1 is an ingredient in many energy drinks today. It is needed specifically for the conversion of the carbohydrates that we eat into energy for the body and this energy is mainly used by the brain and nervous system. Thiamin is also important for muscle contraction. In terms of deficiency, early symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, nausea, constipation and depression which if left untreated will lead to beriberi. Another illness caused by thiamin deficiency is known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a disease most commonly found in chronic alcoholics due to poor thiamine absorption inhibited by alcohol.
The Importance of Riboflavin
Riboflavin on the other hand, is essential for the breakdown of all the macronutrients, protein, fats and carbohydrates so for all those gym nuts out there counting their macros, this one’s for you. It also acts as an antioxidant, which is a substance that prevents damage to cells by free radicals and is thought to play a role in preventing cancer and heart disease. Deficiency in riboflavin is quite rare in the developed world but can occur in chronic alcoholics as the alcohol can inhibit it’s absorption. Symptoms of deficiency include burning of lips, mouth, tongue and eyes, a swollen tongue and cracked lips, but again this is very rare and typically not one to worry about.
So Where Do We Acquire These Wonderful Vitamins?
Thiamin is in many different foods and is found in a few of the different food groups. Good sources include wholegrain cereals, nuts, beans, meats and dairy products. When it comes to cereals, thiamin is often lost in the milling process that is used to produce bread and breakfast cereals and other products, but may be added back in afterwards like with cocopops. As for riboflavin, this vitamin is typically found in dairy products, eggs and leafy green veg like lettuce. It is recommended that we consume around 1-1.5mg of thiamin per day and around 1.1-1.3mg per day of riboflavin. Again, it is not likely that a person would be lacking too much in either of these vitamins but just to give you a rough idea of what you would be consuming, I’ll provide a a table of sources. It’s worth noting that because these are water soluble vitamins, they’re susceptible to being lost during cooking. For example, raw broccoli contains 0.12mg of riboflavin but boiled broccoli contains 0.06mg.
| Food: | Thiamin Content per 100g: |
| Brown Bread | 0.22mg |
| Ground almonds | 0.21mg |
| Baked beans | 0.21mg |
| Grilled beef | 0.12mg |
| Greek yogurt | 0.12mg |
| Whole milk | 0.03mg |
| Food: | Riboflavin Content per 100g: |
| Whole milk | 0.23mg |
| Greek yogurt | 0.13mg |
| Boiled eggs | 0.20mg |
| Lettuce | 0.14mg |
| Broccoli | 0.12mg |
Thiaminase and it’s effects
Thiaminase is an enzyme that breaks down thiamin and makes it unusable by the body. The result of a high consumption of thiaminase is thiamin deficiency which can lead to beriberi. This enzyme is found mainly in raw fish and shellfish. Thankfully, this isn’t really a problem at all in this country but in countries like Cambodia and Thailand where there is high consumption of raw fish and shellfish and a high consumption of polished or white rice, this is still a big issue. Often those affected do not have proper resources to vitamin B supplementation and cannot therefore be treated effectively. This is also an issue among refugees who are very vulnerable in terms of proper healthcare and nutrition. This is an issue that is still very prevalent in the world today and shows that in terms of the Sustainable Development Goals regarding good health and no hunger there is still a long way to go. Vitamins such as thiamin and riboflavin are extremely important when it comes to the body’s general well-being and the efficiency of its functioning so it is important that we address these vitamins as well as trying to provide basic rations to the vulnerable.
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