Vitamin B1 (thiamine pyrophosphate)

Vitamin B1 is classed as a water soluble vitamin. Thiamine diphosphate (TDP) is the most abundant physiological form and is currently considered to be the best available marker of thiamine status. Whole blood is the matrix of choice for assessment of B1 status. B1 can be found at high concentrations in whole-grain foods, pork, liver, nuts, and pulses.
Vitamin B1 is a cofactor for transketolase, pyruvate, and 2 oxogluterate dehydrogenase complexes. These complexes are required for the oxidative degredation of sugars and the mitochondrial synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of cells. Vitamin B1 is also required for biosynthesis of acetylcholine and lipids necessary for a healthy nervous system.
Vitamin B1 deficiency was classically seen in populations where polished rice was the staple diet resulting in the disease known as berberi. In individuals with high alcohol consumption B1 deficiency gives rise to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a disease that affects the brain. Symptoms of B1 deficiency include muscle weakness, neuropathy and cardiovascular abnormalities.