Thiamin, or vitamin B-1, is a water-soluble vitamin. It's an essential nutrient for glucose metabolism, the process through which your body get fuels from the food you eat. If you are not sure whether you are getting enough thiamin from your foods, talk to your doctor about developing a balanced meal plan to meet your needs.
Thiamin
The daily recommended value for thiamin is 1.5 mg, and the average intake in the United States is 1.2 to 2 mg per day, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Thiamin deficiency causes a disease called beriberi, and alcoholism is a possible cause of deficiency in industrialized countries. You may need more thiamin if you are pregnant or under physical stress, and there are no known toxic effects from too much thiamin.
Animal-Based Sources
Pork is an excellent source of thiamin, with 0.72 mg, or nearly half of the daily value, in 3 oz. of cooked, lean pork. A cup of milk has 0.1 mg thiamin, and a whole cooked egg provides 0.03 mg, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. These foods are sources of high-quality protein; and pork provides heme iron, which is easy for your body to absorb. Milk is also an excellent source of calcium.
Plant-Based Sources
A half cup of cooked peas provides 0.21 mg thiamin, and lentils have 0.17 mg per serving. Peas and lentils are plant-based, alternative sources of protein, and each half cup counts as 2 oz.-equivalents in the meat group, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Each ounce of Brazil nuts or pecans has nearly 0.2 mg thiamin, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Spinach, cantaloupe and oranges have about 0.1 mg.
Grains
Whole grains, which contain the bran, germ and endosperm component of the entire grain kernel, are natural sources of thiamin. Brown rice and whole wheat bread have 0.1 to 0.2 mg per serving. Fortified grains, which are whole grains with extra nutrients, may have up to 2 mg thiamin per serving, as in a cup of fortified breakfast cereal. Processed, refined grains do not retain their natural thiamin, but enriched refined grains have thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, folic acid and iron added to them, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines.
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