Thiamine—A Mood-Mending Vitamin

Although more is not always better, it may be when it comes to thiamine. The RDA of 1.1 to 1.5 mg a day provides enough thiamine—vitamin B1—to prevent beriberi, a potentially deadly deficiency disease, but is it enough to optimize biochemical function or to maximize subjective well-being? How many of us would feel better if we took more?

Recently, researchers explored these questions and found, after administering thiamine for two months to healthy college students with normal thiamine levels, that 50 mg per day of the vitamin improved the students' scores on the clear-headedness and mood subclasses of a psychological test. Students treated with placebo showed no change.

For informational purposes only. Contents should not be used as medical advice.