Revealing the relationship between vitamin B1 and decline in mental performance
BEIJING: High consumption of a type of vitamin may increase the risk of dementia, scientists have found in a study.
A study published in the journal General Psychiatry revealed a link between high vitamin B1 intake and a decline in cognitive function (an indicator of dementia).
Vitamin B1 (also known as thiamine) is found naturally in whole grains, legumes, kidney beans, and salmon fillets, and not getting enough is linked to health problems.
According to research, the recommended daily intake of thiamine is 0.68 mg. A 170-gram serving of salmon contains 0.6-0.7 mg of thiamine, while a 30-gram bowl of cereal contains approximately 1.2 mg of thiamine.
The researchers said that thiamine deficiency could potentially cause insufficient energy delivery to the brain’s neurons, which could also affect mental performance. This research highlights the importance of maintaining thiamine consumption in the elderly to prevent problems with mental performance.
In the study, researchers studied data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey.
The data was based on 3,100 people who reported their diets from 1989 to 2011 and underwent four mental performance tests from 1997 to 2006.
The average age of the participants in the study was 63 years and they were tested by word recall and number pattern challenge.
