PrintInsightsAlcoholrelatedthiaminedeficiencyBacktoInsightsAugust30,2018AlcoholrelatedthiaminedeficiencyThiamineThiamine,alsoknownasvitaminB1,hasanumberofessentialfunctionswithinthebody.Itisanimportantnutrientfortakingenergyfromfoodandturningitintoenergyforthebrain,nervesandheart.Thiamineisneededbythebodytoprocessfatsandproteins–butitismostimportantforprocessingcarbohydrates(sugarsandstarches).1Thiamineisnaturallypresentinsomefoods,including:wholegrainproductssuchascereals,rice,pasta,andflourwheatgermbeefandporktroutandbluefintunaeggslegumesandpeasnutsandseeds.2Itisalsoaddedtosomefoodproductssuchasbread3andisavailableasadietarysupplement.Whilefruit,vegetables,anddairyproductsarenotveryhighinthiamine,theycanbecomeasubstantialsourceofthiaminewheneateninlargeamounts.2ThiaminedeficiencyThiaminedeficiencyiscommonindrinkerswhoconsumeexcessiveamountsofalcohol.Thisisdueto:poornutritionandthedietnotcontainingenoughessentialvitamins,andinflammationofthestomachliningduetoexcessivealcoholconsumption,whichreducesthebody’sabilitytoabsorbvitamins.4Thiaminedeficiencycancause:lossofappetiteconstipationfatigueandmuscleweakness.Ifalackofthiaminepersists,aconditioncalledberiberimaydevelopoverthefollowingweeksormonths.5Therearetwotypesofberiberi-wetberiberianddryberiberi.Wetberiberiaffectstheheartandcirculatorysystemandinextremecasescancauseheartfailure.Dryberiberidamagesthenervesandcanleadtodecreasedmusclestrengthandeventually,muscleparalysis.Ifuntreatedberibericanbelife-threatening.5Inextremecases,beriberiisassociatedwithWernicke-Korsakoffsyndrome.WernickeencephalopathyandKorsakoffsyndromearetwoformsofbraindamagecausedbythiaminedeficiency.Bothareconditionsduetobraindamagewhichisoftencausedbyexcessivealcoholuse.4Wernicke–Korsakoff’ssyndromeWernicke’sencephalopathyisaformofseriousbraininjuryresultingfromalackofthiaminethatmostcommonlyoccursinalcohol-dependentpeople.Itisnotawithdrawalcomplication,butitisoftenidentifiedinpeopleundergoingalcoholwithdrawal.Itcanco-existwithandshouldbedistin