Dietary Sources of Vitamin B1

Vitamin B1; Thiamin: Sources and Supplementation

What are examples of dietary sources of thiamin?

Sources of thiamin (vitamin B1) are:

• Pork Chops
• Brewer's Yeast
• Wheat Germ
• Oats
• Other Whole Grains:
  • Whole Grain Breads
  • Brown Rice
  • Barley
  • Bulgur Wheat
• Thiamin-Enriched Flours, Cereals, Breads, and Pastas
• Dried Beans and Peas, such as:
  • Kidney Beans
  • Chickpeas
• Green Peas
• Nuts, including:
  • Peanuts
  • Cashews
  • Pecans
  • Pistachios
  • Brazil Nuts
• Ham
• Organ Meats, such as:
  • Livers
  • Kidneys
• Fish and Shellfish, including:
  • Scallops
  • Cod
• Avocado
• Spinach
• Cauliflower
• Oranges
• Watermelon

Does storage and preparation affect thiamin content of foods?

Thiamin content of foods is decreased as a result of:

• Exposure to Heat (as during cooking)
• Cooking in Water
• Refining Grains (removing the germ/bran of wheat or removing the outer covering of rice grains)
• Increasing the pH of Foods, as by adding baking soda
• Preserving Foods with Sulfites

What about thiamin supplements?
In certain cases, dietary supplements can be beneficial, helping to provide thiamin for individuals with inadequate diets.

• Because supplements do not contain all of the potentially important nutrients/micronutrients present in food sources of thiamin, however, it is preferable to improve the diet, rather than depending upon supplements to provide thiamin.
• For those who do wish to supplement dietary intake of thiamin:
  • Choose a multivitamin/multimineral with no more than 100% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of thiamin.
  • Avoid single-nutrient supplements containing high doses of thiamin; taking excessive amounts of any any vitamin or mineral can be dangerous.

The material in this article is provided for informational purposes only. For specific medical advice or diagnosis, consult a healthcare provider.