Tag: Thiamine dosage

Beriberi, a severe thiamine deficiency, can be fatal if left untreated, but with proper care, symptoms often improve quickly. The approach to how much thiamine is needed to treat beriberi varies greatly depending on the severity and type of deficiency, from simple oral supplements for mild cases to high-dose intravenous therapy for medical emergencies.

The human body can only store about 20 days' worth of thiamine (vitamin B1), a water-soluble vitamin essential for converting food into energy. This fact necessitates regular intake for proper cell function, but is daily supplementation a safe and necessary practice for everyone?

While some sources in the past suggested potential toxicity from very high oral doses, health authorities report that there is no established upper intake level for thiamine. This is because thiamine, or vitamin B1, is water-soluble, meaning the body flushes out excess amounts in the urine, making an overdose through diet or standard supplementation virtually impossible.

The human body is highly efficient at processing excess water-soluble vitamins like thiamine, with excess amounts being excreted in the urine. This prevents toxicity, which is why official bodies like the Food and Nutrition Board have not established an upper intake limit for thiamine. However, this leads many to question: is it safe to take 100 mg of thiamine, a dose significantly higher than the standard daily recommendation?