Thiamine (B1)

Essential, water-soluble vitamin - Processing food into energy - Needed by every tissue in the body

30mg (equal to 20 bowls of fortified cereal or 100 mussels)

Untreated thiamine deficiency, (although this is rare) could result in delirium and brain damage and higher risks of depression. It’s also being tested, with promising results on the cognitive function of Alzheimer’s patients.

Thiamine is needed for normal brain and nervous system function, and could play an important role in mental health.

Essential for energy release 

Used by every cell in the body 

B1 is available through diet, but mostly from animal sources, so those on a plant-based diet benefit from supplementation. To optimise the release of energy, it’s best to consume B1 with other B vitamins.

In a study that supplemented thiamine alongside antidepressants, symptoms were alleviated faster.

Here’s a handful of relevant scientific studies on thiamine.

Science moves faster than we do, but we’re updating these lists as often as we can.

• Thiamine Nutritional Status and Depressive Symptoms Are Inversely Associated among Older Chinese Adults (2013)
• Adjuvant thiamine improved standard treatment in patients with major depressive disorder: results from a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trial. (2016)
• Role of thiamine in Alzheimer's disease. (2011)