Saturday Oct 1, 2016 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study in Psycho-Oncology suggests that cancer patients need to take thiamine (vitamin B1) supplements as many cancer patients can be thiamine deficient.
The study of 217 patients with various cancers admitted to a large cancer center for psychiatric consultation shows that nearly 55.3% of the patients suffered thiamine deficiency but few patients had concomitant vitamin B12 or folate deficiency.
According to the study report, thiamine deficiency in cancer patients could be due largely to fluorouracil-based chemotherapy, weight loss and undergoing active cancer treatment.
The study also reveals that oncologists do not initiate evaluation of thiamine deficiency in cancer patients often and treatment is commonly delayed. The authors say that oncologists must be vigilant about thiamine deficiency in cancer inpatients.
Why does thiamine deficiency need doctors' attention?
Thiamine also known as vitamin B1 is one of eight B vitamins (B vitamin Complex) that are involved in the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose, which is eventually used as an energy source. These vitamins also help metabolize protein and fats and they are needed for the liver. skin, hair and eyes.
Because B vitamins like thiamine are water soluble, they cannot be stored in the body and they need to be obtained from foods or supplements. Thiamine is found both in plants and animals. The body need thiamine to produce adenosine triphosphate or ATP which is why thiamine deficiency can lead to fatigue.
In addition to fatigue, thiamine deficiency can also cause symptoms including stress, headache, nausea, irritability, depression (which may be why cancer patients seek treatments in a psychiatric clinic), and abdominal discomfort.
Thiamine deficiency can cause a range of health conditions including beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, cataracts, Alzheimer disease, and heart failure. Patients with these conditions better use high doses of thiamine to ensure that they get enough thiamine.
Foods with high amounts of thiamine can be used often to prevent thiamine deficiency. The foods high in thiamine include whole grains, enriched cereals, legumes, wheat germ, bran, brewer's yeast, and nuts. Pork, beef and poultry also carry thiamine.
Thiamine is fairly safe to use, but high doses may cause stomach discomfort. Also, for most people, it would be better to take B vitamins as a supplement than vitamin b1 (thiamine) alone because any one of the eight B vitamins can cause an imbalance of other B vitamins when it is taken for a long term. (David Liu)
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