Vitamin B1

The Vitamin B1 blood test measures the levels of Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) in the blood.  Thiamine is a water soluble B complex vitamin.  Thiamin is involved in many body functions including the nervous system, muscle function, metabolism, digestion and other biochemical processes.  Because thiamin is water soluble and very little is stored in the body, depletion can occur rapidly.  Thiamin deficiency (beriberi) can have serious effects ranging from nonspecific symptoms such as weight loss and confusion to life threatening conditions involving the nervous system, cardiovascular system, and/or gastrointestinal system.   Thiamine metabolism and the complex roles that it plays in many of the body's systems is the focus of much ongoing research.