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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Crystals of Vitamin B1 Copied without permission from Roche Product Information |
Vitamin B1Other names for the water soluble vitamin B1 are thiamine, antiberiberi factor, aneurine and antineuritic factor.Thiamine pyrophosphate is the biochemically active ester of thiamine, involved in many important metabolic processes including:
Top Chemical Structure![]() Fig.1 The Chemical Structure of Vitamin B1 (thiamine hydrochloride) 3D Structure of Thiamine Top Principal Sources in FoodAlthough thiamine occurs widely in foods, it is generally in small amounts. The principal source of thiamine is in dried brewers yeast and there are other good sources including:
Vitamin B1 in the BodyThiamine is essential in the body for the releasing of energy from carbohydrate and fat, and is also involved in conduction of nerve impulses. It is not stored well in the body (highest concentrations being in the brain, heart, liver and kidney) and so a continuous supply is required. Deficiency results in two diseases:
Did You Know? Beriberi translated into English means 'I can't, I can't'. Top StabilityVitamin B1 is sensitive to heat, alkali, oxygen and radiation and considerable amounts of the vitamin can be lost during cooking.Top SynthesisChemical synthesis of thiamine is very complicated, involving 15-17 different steps.Top |