Thiamine deficiency and their symptoms

Thiamine efficiency can cause cardiovascular and neurological signs and symptoms. Beriberi a serious thiamine efficiency disease, usually affects Asians, who subsist mainly on a diet of unenriched rice and wheat.

Among the symptoms of beriberi: chiefly nervous and cardiovascular systems affected; mental confusion, muscular weakness, loss of ankle and knee jerks, painful calf muscles, peripheral paralysis, edema (wet beriberi), muscle wasting (dry beriberi), enlarged heart.

In the United States, although uncommon, it usually occur in alcoholics, malnourished young adults, and infants who are on a low proteins diet or are being breast-fed by thiamine efficient mothers.

Sign and symptoms of infantile beriberi include cyanosis, dyspnea, tachycardia, aphonia (soundless crying), and eventual cardiac failure.

Although whole grains may be rich in thiamine, processing of grains significantly reduces their thiamine content. Likewise, because thiamin is water soluble and heat sensitive, cooking largely results in the loss or destruction of this vitamin especially when chlorinate waster is used.
Thiamine deficiency and their symptoms

Beriberi: symptom of thiamin deficiency

Beriberi, a serious thiamine-deficiency disease is most prevalent in Asians, who subsists mainly on diets of enriched rice and wheat. Although this disease is uncommon in the United States, alcoholics may develop cardiac beriberi with high output heart failure neuropathy and cerebral disturbances.

In times of stress, malnourished young adults mat develop beriberi; infantile beriberi may appear I’m infants on low-protein diet or in those breast-fed by thiamine-deficient mothers.

Beriberi has been described from a neurological point of view in prisoners of war. In this description the key feature in prisoners with was presence of foot and wrist drop. This finding was associate with tenderness of muscles over the lateral portion of the legs lateral aspect of the thighs and lateral forearms.

Beriberi affecting the peripheral nervous system predominantly was known as ‘dry beriberi’. If heart failure was the major manifestation, the condition was called ‘wet beriberi’. In Britain and North America, beriberi heart disease is seen in alcoholics.

In wet beriberi there is degeneration and demyelination of both sensory and motor nerves resulting in severe waiting of muscles. The vagus band other autonomic nerves can also be affected.
Beriberi: symptom of thiamin deficiency