Also consider: Fortified cereals and bread products, oat bran, beef liver, asparagus, tahini (sesame butter), Marmite (yeast paste)
Best food groups: Pork, legumes, seeds, fortified breakfast cereals
What is thiamine and why is it so important? Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is one of the B-complex nutrients which are essential in energy metabolism. Deficiencies in thiamine have been linked to beriberi, peripheral neuritis, pellagra, poor appetite, ulcerative colitis, and diarrhea. Thiamine supplementation is also used as medical therapy for diverse health conditions, such as AIDS and other immuno-compromised conditions, and alcoholism. Research has also shown promising results in the treatment of kidney damage.
How much is enough?
The DV for thiamine is 1.5 mg, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
There is no UL for thiamine. No adverse effects have been observed with high intakes.
Supplements: For adults with somewhat low levels of thiamine in their body (mild thiamine deficiency), the usual dose of thiamine is 5 to 30 mg daily in either a single dose or divided doses for 1 month. The typical dose for severe deficiency can be up to 300 mg per day. For reducing the risk of cataracts, a daily dietary intake of about 10 mg of thiamine is recommended. You'll find thiamine in individual supplements as well as multivitamins.
1. Lean Pork
Besides being an excellent source of thiamine, lean pork is an excellent source of niacin, protein, selenium, and vitamin B12, and a good source of vitamin B6. According to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data for 2003–2006, diets that included lean pork provided higher amounts of protein, selenium, thiamine, and vitamin B6, compared to the diets of adults who did not consume lean pork.
2. Soybeans
Cooked soybeans are an excellent source of calcium, fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, thiamine, and vitamin K. It is a good source of niacin, vitamin C, and zinc. Soy is already an excellent source of thiamine but a German study found that the bacteria used in the fermentation process in making tempeh (a traditional Japanese fermented soybean cake) intensified the amounts of niacin, nicotinamide, thiamine, and vitamin B12.
Did you know?
Marmite is a smoky-tasting spread made from brewer's yeast, a by-product of the brewing process. Although yeast is naturally high in B vitamins, the makers of Marmite add thiamine (and other assorted B vitamins) to their spread for an extra boost. It's a popular spread around the world but hasn't really caught on that well in the United States. It's delicious as a sandwich spread or even as a marinade ingredient.
3. Green Peas
Green peas are an excellent source of not only thiamine, but the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, and a good source of vitamin K, fiber, and folate. Fresh green peas are high in the plant nutrient beta-sitosterol, which helps block the absorption of cholesterol.
4. Cowpeas
Cowpeas are also known as Southern peas or black-eyed peas. Cowpeas are an excellent source of calcium, fiber, thiamine, and vitamin A, and a good source of iron. Cowpeas are rich in phytic acid and a group of plant nutrients called polyphenols, which are found mainly in their hull. Removing the hull after soaking them for twelve hours is a great way to reduce phytic acid, which can interfere with calcium absorption; however, nearly 70 percent of the healthy polyphenols are stripped away by that process, too.
5. Navy Beans
Navy beans are an excellent source of fiber, folate, protein, and thiamine, and a good source of iron and magnesium. Navy beans also contain saponins, a phytochemical that has been shown to have antibacterial and antifungal activity, not to mention anticancer cell growth. Navy beans are also the highest common bean source of ferulic and p-coumaric acids, antioxidants shown to protect against breast, liver, and stomach cancers. A small study showed that including navy beans in a meal busted hunger earlier and led to lower blood glucose following the meal, compared to meals that contained lentils, yellow peas, or chickpeas.
Navy beans are a variety of white bean that received their nickname because they were served so often to American naval personal during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Other navy bean varieties include the great northern, Rainy River, Robust, Michelite, and Sanilac.
6. Black Beans
Black beans are an excellent source of fiber and protein. When served with rice, they make an inexpensive complete protein meal. Besides providing thiamine, black beans are also an excellent source of folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, and phosphorus, and a good source of potassium and zinc. A Canadian study found that black beans exhibited powerful anti-inflammatory properties, even outperforming aspirin for blocking COX-1 and COX-2, enzymes known to cause inflammation!
7. Lentils
Lentils are an excellent source of fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, thiamine, vitamin B6, and zinc. A study of over four hundred Iranian women found that those consuming greater amounts of lentils and other legumes in their diet had much lower concentrations of inflammatory markers in their blood.