Vitamin B1 deficiency linked to fatal brain disorder

According to a report published in the journal Scientific American Medicine, deficiency of a single vitamin B1 (or thiamine) can lead to a potentially fatal brain disorder called Wernicke encephalopathy. The disorder typically occurs in people who have disorders such as alcoholism and anorexia that lead to malnourishment. 'Wernicke encephalopathy is an example of the wide range of brain diseases called encephalopathies that are caused by metabolic disorders and toxic substances,' said Matthew McCoyd, a neurologist at Loyola University Medical Center in the US.

Untreated, the condition can lead to irreversible brain damage and death, the researchers said. Symptoms of the disorder can include confusion, hallucinations, coma, loss of muscle coordination and vision problems such as double vision and involuntary eye movements. 'Toxic and metabolic encephalopathies may range in severity from the acute confusional state to frank coma,' McCoyd added. Wernicke encephalopathy is a medical emergency that requires immediate thiamine treatment either by injection or IV.

'In the absence of treatment, deficiency can lead to irreversible brain damage and death with an estimated mortality of 20 percent,' the Loyola neurologists wrote. Vitamin B1 is found in a wide variety of foods including watermelon, cereal grains, oatmeal, potatoes and eggs.

Here are some key functions of vitamin B1 that will give you a better idea about its importance.

It keeps your brain healthy: B1 is required for a having healthy nervous system. It helps development of myelin sheaths around the brain cells and plays a role in transmission of messages from the brain to different parts of the body. Sufficient levels of B1 are also associated with improved learning skills and memory, healthy mood and enhanced emotional well-being. Research suggests that B1 supplements may reduce the symptoms of mental impairment in people with Alzheimer's.