Thiamine is also known as vitamin B1. It is a water-soluble compound liquid. It decomposes in heat. It was first discovered in 1910 by Japanese scientists and first crystallized in 1926. In 1935, scientists found out the exact composition of the vitamin. They discovered it was made of thiamine monophosphate (ThMP), thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) and thiamine triphosphate (ThTP).

Some of the enzymes found in thiamine help with the production of enzymes to product energy from carbohydrates. The other enzymes found help decompose the sugars found in the vitamin. Dehydrogenization is a key function of thiamine.

Thiamine was recently discovered to be a part of several types of bacteria, fungi and plants. Amino acid starvation, which can be sourced to lack of thiamine in our bodies, has been linked to E Coli in recent years.

Thiamine or vitamin B1 helps our bodies convert the carbohydrates and fat into energy, which is a key process of our bodily functions it plays a key role in growth and ensures that all of our bodily functions are working correctly and at full health, therefore it is an extremely important vitamin. Because it is water soluble, it cannot be produced in the body and therefore needs to come from external sources. Once it is ingested, it is stored fairly easily in muscle tissue.

Legumes, yeast, breads (whole grain and enriched) Soya beans, pinto beans, nuts, navy bean, pork, beef, liver, spinach and green peas are all good, healthy and natural sources of thiamine. Aside from having this vitamin, they also have many other vitamins and minerals present.

A lack of thiamine has shown to lead to neurodegeneration, wasting and even death. The lack can be caused by not getting one of the thiamine enriched foods as part of your daily diet to contribute to your RDA, or using supplements in your daily routine to make sure one gets his or her intake of this vitamin. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and beriberi are also diseases that are due to a lack of thiamine and associated with chronic alcoholism.

Nowadays it is very common to see thiamine in other manufactured products. Apart from obvious capsules that are there for supplementary purposes, there exist many other products such as vitamin enriched cereals and other foods. These are helpful because natural sources of thiamine are crucial, but cooking it in any fashion destroys the goodness of it. It is therefore important that enriched foods exist so humans can still acquire their RDA of thiamine.

Because this vitamin is cheap to harvest and is grown and cultivated all around the world, it is easy to see why it has become so popular. Used for medicinal, health and flavorful benefits, it shows how much it has become part of our lives. It is recommended to take a certain amount of vitamins and minerals everyday to help our immune system stay working at 100%. It is also advised not to overdose on certain vitamins and minerals as they may cause serious side effects and affect certain bodily processes.

If you are unsure about taking supplements, contact your doctor or pharmacist. He or she can advise you on the best plan of action and give you more information about specific vitamins and minerals. It is advised to seek consultation especially if you are pregnant or currently taking any medication as this can affect the intake of supplements. Go to a registered pharmacy and make sure you read all the instructions on dosage and follow them strictly. More information can be found on the Internet too.