What is the history of thiamine?
                                
                                
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                                    5 min read                                
                            
                                Thiamine was the first water-soluble vitamin to be discovered and its history is deeply intertwined with the ancient disease beriberi, which long plagued populations relying on a polished rice diet. The journey to understand this essential nutrient reveals a fascinating narrative of colonial medicine, groundbreaking animal experiments, and international scientific collaboration.