Blood draw
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Diphosphate)
Active Vitamin B1; energy metabolism and neurological function.
€ 45,00
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Vitamins, minerals and amino acids · Blood
Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
The amount of thiamine in the blood; to establish a deficiency in risk groups, such as with excessive alcohol use.
At a glance
- Measured in blood
- In 3 test panels
- No special preparation
Explanation
Vitamin B1 (thiamine): what is measured?
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is needed to convert carbohydrates into energy and for the functioning of nerves, the brain and memory. It is found mainly in bread and grain products, and also in potatoes, meat, milk, legumes and nuts. The test usually measures thiamine diphosphate, the active form, in whole blood. The body has only a small store, so with too little intake or poor absorption over a longer period, a deficiency can develop fairly quickly.
What can it detect?
- Vitamin B1 deficiency with excessive alcohol use, malnutrition or an eating disorder
- Deficiency due to poor absorption in diseases of the stomach and intestines
- Rarely: serious consequences of a deficiency, such as beriberi or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
Result
What does the result mean?
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) too high
A raised vitamin B1 is usually due to supplements or a multivitamin. An excess is passed in the urine and no harmful effects of too much thiamine are known; no tolerable upper limit has been set either. A high value causes no symptoms on its own and needs no follow-up.
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) too low
A low vitamin B1 fits a deficiency. In healthy people with a normal Dutch diet this is rare; a deficiency occurs mainly with excessive alcohol or drug use, malnutrition or an eating disorder, and with diseases of the stomach and intestines. Older people and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding have a greater need. Symptoms of a deficiency can be: poor appetite, tiredness, low mood, concentration and memory problems, a numb feeling in the legs and muscle weakness. A severe deficiency can lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, with confusion and serious memory problems, and requires prompt treatment.
After an abnormal result
With a low value, the GP looks for the cause, such as alcohol use, diet or a bowel disease, and usually prescribes vitamin B1. With confusion, problems walking or abnormal eye movements in someone with a deficiency, prompt assessment is needed, often in hospital.
Reliability
How reliable is the test?
A clearly low value fits a deficiency, but the result is always assessed together with symptoms and risk factors. In people without symptoms and with a normal diet, a deficiency is rare; the test is mainly used when there is a specific suspicion, such as with excessive alcohol use or malnutrition. When a severe deficiency is strongly suspected, vitamin B1 is often given without waiting for the result.
What can affect the result?
- Supplements and multivitamins raise the value; a tablet shortly before the blood draw gives too favorable a picture.
- The sample must be kept chilled or frozen; with transport that takes too long or is too warm, the result can be unreliable.
- Reference values differ between laboratories and measurement methods.
Who it is for
Who is the test useful for?
Useful for
Useful when a deficiency is suspected in risk groups, such as excessive alcohol use, malnutrition or an eating disorder and diseases of the stomach or intestines, together with symptoms that fit it. In healthy people without symptoms and with a normal diet, the result says little: a deficiency is then rare and tiredness usually has another cause.
How common is it?
A vitamin B1 deficiency is rare in healthy people in the Netherlands, because bread and grain products provide a lot of thiamine. A deficiency occurs mainly in people with excessive alcohol or drug use and with diseases of the digestive tract. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum), beriberi no longer occurs in the Netherlands; how often a milder deficiency occurs is not well known.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum) and the NVKC
Drawbacks and risks
- In people without symptoms and with a normal diet, the test rarely yields anything; a slightly abnormal value can cause unnecessary worry or unnecessary follow-up testing.
Get tested
Vitamin B1 (thiamine): test panels
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is part of these test panels. You order online and have your blood drawn at a collection point or collect the sample at home.
Evidence
Sources
This explanation is based on Dutch guidelines and independent information. It is general information, not a diagnosis. Discuss an abnormal result with your GP.
More about risks and resultsMore explanations
Other tests: Vitamins, minerals and amino acids
- AC/FC ratio
- Acylcarnitine
- Alanine
- Antibodies against intrinsic factor
- Arginine
- Calcium
- Calcium (albumin-corrected)
- Carnitine, free
- Carnitine, total
- Coenzyme Q10
- Copper
- Folic acid