Supplement · Vitamins
Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
Also known as: Thiamine
Essential for energy metabolism; supplementing helps mainly when you are deficient.
- Evidence
- Silver· human data
- Sources cited
- 1
- Last reviewed
- 22 July 2026
Thiamine is an essential B-vitamin needed to turn carbohydrate into energy and to keep nerves working. Genuine deficiency (seen in heavy alcohol use, some illnesses and very poor diets) causes serious problems and clearly warrants correction.
For well-fed people, though, extra thiamine does not boost energy or performance beyond covering needs. It is water-soluble and generally safe, but it is best obtained from a normal diet or a B-complex where a broad shortfall is suspected.