Thiamin

What is Thiamin? Why Do I NEED it?

Thiamin is in the vitamin B family and is also known as vitamin B-1. B vitamins are water soluble, therefore, they are least likely to reach toxic levels. Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body and any excess will be excreted from the body.
This B vitamin is essential for normal growth and development and helps to maintain proper functioning of the heart and the nervous and digestive systems. A study last year discovered that 1/3 of all patients suffering from heart disease are thiamin deficient. When the body is lacking thiamin the heart muscles become lazy and fatigued, and the upper chambers of the heart lose their strength and gradually enlarge.
Thiamin plays an important role in helping the body metabolize carbohydrates and fat to produce energy. Thus, persons who expend more energy and have a higher intake of calories need more thiamin than those who eat fewer calories.
Daily needs for thiamin are based on the amount of calories taken in each day. The recommended dietary intake for Vitamin B1 is 1.1 mg per day for adult males and 0.8 mg per day for adult females, although women that are pregnant require an additional 0.2 mg per day and those that are lactating require and additional 0.4 mg.
Clearly the body is not at high demand for thiamin, however, there are factors which effect thiamin absorption-especially alcohol. Vitamin B1 deficiency is common among alcoholics, simply because chronic alcohol consumption decreases the amount of Vitamin B1 absorbed by the body. Alcohol not only blocks thiamin assimilation but injures the small intestine, making nutrient absorption very difficult. Also at risk for deficiency are those who consume a lot of sweets, soft drinks, and highly processed foods.

Sources of Thiamin

• The richest food sources of vitamin B1 are brown rice, egg yolks, fish, legumes, liver, nuts, peas, poultry, rice bran, kelp, spirulina, wheat germ and whole grains.

HOW TO PREPARE FOODS TO RETAIN THIAMIN

Some thiamin can be lost from foods during preparation and cooking because thiamin may be dissolved in the cooking liquid. Storage losses are small. To retain thiamin:

.Use enriched or whole-grain pasta or rice and do not wash before cooking or rinse after cooking.

.Cook vegetables in a minimal amount of water.

.Roast meat at a moderate temperature and cook only until it is done - overcooking at a high temperature destroys thiamin.

Garlic: A food, herb, and medicinal plant

Garlic contains phosphorus, potassium, calcium, protein and significant amounts of vitamins B & C which makes it an essential part of any diet. In addition, it contains allacin which is a sulphur compound that has antibiotic and antifungal properties that the body does not build a resistance to. In order to release allacin the garlic clove must be cut or mashed. Also, the allicin in garlic would be rendered useless if it were exposed to unnecessarily high degrees of heat so try to add the minced or mashed garlic right before cooking is done and the food is ready to be served. The allicin in garlic is able to kill germs, disease, bacteria, and harmful viruses. Thus, we can see the effects of garlic on the heart: (a) kill infection in and around that area, and (b) help prevent coronary thrombosis (bloodclot in an artery near the heart), cardiac arrest, and palpitation (rapid heart beating) from occurring.

Garlic can be obtained in many forms though none is as flavorful and as effective as the fresh form. It can be found in powders and salts used for cooking also in pill forms for supplementing. Only the fresh, however, can be certain to provide the various health benefits.

Add garlic to pizza, spaghetti, salads and marinades.

Restless Legs Syndrome - Nutrition/Health Recommendations

NUTRITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)!

Habits worth focusing on to help alleviate restlessness:

1. Say see ya to the caffeine, have a xanthine-free diet, by eliminating chocolate (cocoa), coffee, tea, and soft drinks containing caffeine. Caffeine has been shown to increase subjects’ susceptibility to develop symptoms of RLS at lower blood glucose levels.
2. Reduce alcohol consumption –it may make RLS symptoms worse.
3. Bye-Bye tobacco.
4. Reduce stress- make time for relaxation and rejuvenation, try meditation and keeping a positive attitude.
5. Eat healthy foods – many patients with RLS, particularly if they also have spontaneous leg cramps, appear to have hyperinsulinism causing functional hypoglycemia during glucose tolerance testing. In an open trial, of a group of 350 patients (J. Med Assoc 60(5):29-31, 1973), had a prompt remission or at least, a striking reduction in symptoms after being placed on a sugar-free, high protein diet along with frequent nibbling and one night snack. At every eating time eat high fiber carbohydrates with low fat protein sources and eat every 3 to 4 hours.
6. Manage your medications- some medications may worsen symptoms of RLS, discuss with your physician any medication alternatives that will not exacerbate RLS.
7. Supplements –may need to supplement with folic acid (5 to 30 mg daily), RLS may be an early neurologic manifestation of folate deficiency. Vitamin E supplementation (~300 IU daily), reports some RLS relief, may take up to 3 months for the full benefits. Iron supplementation (10 mg capsule) if iron-deficient, since iron deficiency is known to cause akathisia (restlessness) by reducing dopaminergic and opiate neurotransmission. Magnesium deficiency known to increase neuromuscular excitability can also cause the syndrome – supplement with ~350 mg/day magnesium.
8. Exercise Regularly – use those muscles, move daily by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walk around the neighborhood, and walk/move during your breaks. Aim for 30 to 45 minutes per day of moving.