Nutrition Strategies: How can you prevent beriberi?

October 28, 2025 •

4 min read

Thiamine, or vitamin B1, is a vital water-soluble vitamin that cannot be stored in large amounts by the body, with stores depleting in as little as 2 to 3 weeks of inadequate intake. To prevent beriberi, a serious condition caused by this deficiency, maintaining a consistent intake of thiamine-rich foods is crucial.

Quick Summary

Preventing beriberi hinges on ensuring a diet with sufficient thiamine, an essential nutrient often found in whole grains, legumes, and fortified foods. This approach is critical for high-risk groups, including those with alcohol use disorder, malabsorption issues, or specific dietary restrictions.

Key Points

Prioritize whole grains over refined grains: Polished rice and white flour lose much of their thiamine content during processing, making whole-grain alternatives a better choice.
Incorporate thiamine-rich foods: Regularly consume beans, legumes, pork, fish, nuts, and seeds to ensure consistent intake of vitamin B1.
Choose fortified products: Look for breads, cereals, and flours that are enriched with thiamine, especially in areas where staple foods lack this vitamin.
Address alcohol consumption: Individuals with alcohol use disorder are at high risk due to impaired absorption; limiting or quitting alcohol is a critical preventative step.
Monitor high-risk groups closely: Patients who have undergone bariatric surgery, are on dialysis, or have malabsorption conditions require careful nutritional management and may need supplements.
Ensure adequate maternal nutrition: Breastfeeding mothers with low thiamine can pass the deficiency to their infants, so a nutrient-dense diet is crucial for both.
Be cautious with raw seafood and certain drinks: Raw freshwater fish and shellfish contain an enzyme that can destroy thiamine, while excessive tea and coffee intake may reduce absorption.

Understanding Thiamine and Beriberi

Beriberi is a disease resulting from a severe deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1), which is essential for converting food into energy and for the proper function of the nervous system. The condition can manifest in two primary forms, or a mix of both:

Dry beriberi: This type affects the nervous system, leading to symptoms like muscle weakness, nerve damage, and partial paralysis. In severe cases, it can lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a severe neurological disorder.
Wet beriberi: Affecting the cardiovascular system, wet beriberi can cause fluid retention, poor circulation, and, in advanced stages, heart failure. It is considered a medical emergency and can be fatal if not treated promptly.

Dietary Strategies to Prevent Beriberi

To avoid this deficiency, a diet rich in whole foods and fortified products is the most effective approach.

Prioritize Thiamine-Rich Foods

Incorporate a variety of natural sources of vitamin B1 into your daily meals. The best options include:

Whole Grains: Unlike polished white rice or refined flours where the thiamine-rich outer layer is removed, whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal, and quinoa retain their nutritional value.
Legumes: Beans (black beans, green beans), lentils, and soybeans are excellent plant-based sources of thiamine.
Meat and Fish: Lean pork is one of the best sources of thiamine, but other options like beef, trout, salmon, and bluefin tuna are also beneficial.
Nuts and Seeds: Sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, and nuts generally are good sources of thiamine.
Vegetables: Include asparagus, acorn squash, spinach, and brussels sprouts to boost your thiamine intake.
Dairy: Milk and yogurt contain moderate amounts of thiamine.

Embrace Fortified and Enriched Foods

In developed countries, beriberi is rare largely due to food fortification. Many common food products have thiamine added back to them during processing. Look for products with labels indicating they are “enriched” or “fortified.”

Breakfast cereals
Breads
Pastas
Flours
Rice (check the packaging)

Prevention for At-Risk Populations

While a balanced diet is enough for most people, certain groups have a higher risk and may require special attention to their thiamine intake.

Alcohol Use Disorder

Chronic alcohol consumption is a leading cause of thiamine deficiency in developed nations because alcohol hinders the body’s ability to absorb and store vitamin B1. Additionally, individuals with this condition often have a poor diet. Limiting or abstaining from alcohol and taking a vitamin B complex supplement can help mitigate the risk.

Pregnant and Breastfeeding Individuals

Increased nutritional demands during pregnancy and lactation heighten the need for thiamine. Mothers with a poor diet can pass the deficiency to their infants through breastmilk, leading to infantile beriberi. It is vital for expecting and nursing mothers to maintain a varied and nutritious diet.

Bariatric Surgery Patients

Surgical procedures like gastric bypass can lead to malabsorption issues and reduced food intake, putting patients at risk for thiamine deficiency. Healthcare providers should provide dietary education and long-term follow-up to ensure adequate thiamine levels through diet or supplementation.

Others at Risk

Medical conditions such as Crohn's disease, prolonged vomiting (e.g., hyperemesis gravidarum), kidney dialysis, and critical illness also increase the risk of deficiency. These individuals should be closely monitored by a healthcare professional and may require thiamine supplements.

Comparison of Prevention Strategies for Different Risk Groups


Risk Group	Key Prevention Strategy	Additional Considerations
General Population	Balanced diet with thiamine-rich and fortified foods.	Minimal risk with a varied, healthy diet.
Individuals with Alcoholism	Reduce or abstain from alcohol; take vitamin B complex supplements.	Regular medical checkups to monitor vitamin levels; dietary counseling.
Pregnant/Breastfeeding Individuals	Maintain a nutrient-dense diet; check infant formula for thiamine content.	May need supplementation under medical guidance due to increased needs.
Bariatric Surgery Patients	Medical supervision, dietary education, and long-term follow-up.	Supplementation is often required to address malabsorption and reduced intake.
Kidney Dialysis Patients	Dietary planning guided by a doctor; may require thiamine supplements.	High doses of diuretics can increase risk; regular monitoring is key.

Conclusion

Preventing beriberi is primarily a nutritional matter, focused on ensuring consistent and adequate thiamine intake. By embracing a balanced diet rich in whole grains, legumes, lean meats, and fortified foods, most people can easily maintain healthy vitamin B1 levels. For high-risk individuals, including those with alcohol use disorder, specific medical conditions, or those recovering from bariatric surgery, a proactive approach incorporating dietary changes, supplementation, and medical supervision is essential. Maintaining adequate thiamine is a simple yet fundamental step toward protecting both nervous and cardiovascular health.

Final Recommendations

Adopting a varied diet is the cornerstone of prevention. This includes consuming whole grains instead of refined versions and integrating foods like pork, fish, seeds, and legumes into your meals. Consulting a healthcare provider or dietitian can help tailor a nutritional plan, especially for those with increased risk factors.

Optional Link: For more information on the different types of beriberi and their symptoms, you can refer to the detailed guide from the National Institutes of Health(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537204/).

Frequently Asked Questions

The main cause of beriberi is a diet that is severely lacking in thiamine, also known as vitamin B1.

High-risk individuals include those with alcohol use disorder, patients who have undergone bariatric surgery, individuals on kidney dialysis, and pregnant or breastfeeding women with poor diets.

Beriberi is rare in developed countries because many foods are fortified with vitamins, but it can still occur in individuals with chronic alcohol use or specific medical conditions.

Excellent sources of thiamine include whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat), lean pork, fish (trout, salmon), beans, lentils, and nuts and seeds (sunflower, macadamia).

Yes, diets that rely heavily on polished, unenriched white rice are a classic cause of beriberi because the milling process removes most of the thiamine from the grain.

Wet beriberi primarily affects the cardiovascular system, causing symptoms like fluid retention and heart problems, while dry beriberi affects the nervous system, leading to nerve damage and muscle weakness.

Nursing mothers must ensure their diet contains sufficient thiamine to prevent passing a deficiency to their infant. They should eat a balanced diet or consult a doctor about supplementation.

Thiamine is sensitive to heat, and prolonged cooking, especially at high temperatures, can reduce its content in foods. Therefore, proper food preparation methods are important to preserve nutrients.