# Thiamine (Vitamin B1)

Category: Vitamins & Minerals

Also known as: thiamine, vitamin B1, B1, thiamine deficiency

Thiamine (vitamin B1) is a cofactor for the rate-limiting enzyme of glucose metabolism, pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), and its primary physiological role is to ensure the complete oxidative metabolism of glucose, thereby minimizing the production of lactic acid and maximizing…

12 passages · 2 authors · 1993–2026 · Most-cited: [Georgi Dinkov](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/voices/georgi-dinkov/index.md)

Canonical page: https://bioenergeticoracle.com/concepts/thiamine-vitamin-b1

## Synthesis

**Thiamine (vitamin B1)** is a cofactor for the rate-limiting enzyme of glucose metabolism, **pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH)**, and its primary physiological role is to ensure the complete oxidative metabolism of glucose, thereby minimizing the production of *lactic acid* and maximizing the production of **carbon dioxide (CO2)**. [Source 3, 7, 11] Ray Peat emphasized that thiamine works directly with the respiratory enzymes, and that a deficiency shifts metabolism away from oxidation toward an inflammatory state. [Source 1, 4] Georgi Dinkov has elaborated that without sufficient B1, pyruvate is instead converted to lactate in a process known as the *Warburg effect*, creating a reductive, inflammatory state that produces far less ATP. [Source 11]

The therapeutic administration of thiamine, in doses ranging from 100 mg to 300 mg daily, has been shown to lower lactic acid, stimulate its oxidation, and increase CO2 production, which shifts the organism away from inflammation. [Source 4, 9] Peat noted that this effect is so rapid that one can often feel an effect from B1 within the first hour. [Source 4] Dinkov has pointed out that this mechanism is relevant to performance enhancement, as suppressing the rise of lactic acid during exertion increases physical output, and that even plain thiamine hydrochloride is effective for this purpose. [Source 10] The vitamin is also crucial for two other enzymes: **alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGDH)** in the TCA cycle, and it acts as a known **carbonic anhydrase inhibitor**, which further raises CO2 levels to exert anti-inflammatory, anti-serotonin, and anti-estrogen effects. [Source 11]

A deficiency of thiamine, which can be caused by stress, alcohol, or electromagnetic radiation, leads to a buildup of pyruvate and its conversion to lactate, a state implicated in a wide range of degenerative conditions. [Source 3, 10] Dinkov has cited research demonstrating that intracellular deficiencies of B1 in the brain are a core feature of conditions like Huntington's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease, even when blood levels appear normal. [Source 8, 12] For neurological conditions, lipophilic analogs of B1 such as allithiamine (TTFD) or benfotiamine are often used because they reliably raise brain levels of the active cofactor **thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP)**, whereas regular thiamine salts often do not. [Source 7, 12] Dinkov has reported that these lipophilic forms robustly increase dopamine release in the brain, enhancing wakefulness and physical activity, and that a human-equivalent dose of 100 mg of TTFD daily can replicate these effects. [Source 7]

Beyond the nervous system, thiamine's role in oxidative metabolism has direct implications for digestion and heart function. Dinkov has highlighted studies showing that thiamine improves gut motility and relieves constipation by increasing CO2 levels in the GI tract, which reduces the absorption of **lipopolysaccharide (LPS)** and systemic endotoxemia. [Source 5, 11] A large genetic study confirmed that thiamine metabolism is a key determinant of stool frequency and IBS risk, with the mechanism being the bioenergetic role of B1 in supporting oxidative metabolism. [Source 11] Furthermore, a relatively low dose of 200 mg of thiamine daily for several months has been shown to partially reverse heart muscle damage caused by chronic alcohol abuse. [Source 2] Peat also noted that dark roast coffee can be a significant dietary source, with one or two cups providing the minimum daily requirement of vitamin B1. [Source 6]

## People also ask

### How does thiamine reduce lactic acid buildup?

Thiamine acts as a cofactor for pyruvate dehydrogenase, which ensures pyruvate enters oxidative metabolism rather than being converted to lactate. Peat and Dinkov described how this lowers lactic acid, increases CO2, and shifts the body away from an inflammatory state.

### Why are fat-soluble forms like allithiamine used for brain conditions?

Lipophilic analogs such as allithiamine and benfotiamine reliably raise brain levels of the active cofactor thiamine pyrophosphate, whereas regular thiamine salts often do not. Dinkov cited research showing this is relevant for neurological conditions like Huntington's and Alzheimer's disease.

### What effect does thiamine have on digestion and gut health?

Thiamine improves gut motility and relieves constipation by increasing CO2 levels in the GI tract, which reduces absorption of lipopolysaccharide and systemic endotoxemia. Dinkov highlighted studies confirming this bioenergetic role in supporting oxidative metabolism.

## Related concepts

- [Arachidonic Acid](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/arachidonic-acid/index.md)
- [ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/atp-adenosine-triphosphate/index.md)
- [Biotin](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/biotin/index.md)
- [Bromocriptine](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/bromocriptine/index.md)
- [Caffeine](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/caffeine/index.md)
- [Chronic Fatigue Syndrome](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/index.md)

## Cited passages

Passage numbers match the `[Source N]` markers in the synthesis above.

### Source 1 — Diabetes II and How to Restore and Protect Nerves KMUD 2014

Ray Peat · Interview · 2014 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj4ewp2YH1k

> **Caller:** Does niacinamide need to be balanced out with any other B vitamin or other supplement?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Thiamine, vitamin B1 works with the respiratory enzymes. And of course you need all of them: B12, B1 and biotin are very closely involved with the respiratory apparatus.
>
> **Caller:** You’ve discussed many times in your articles and interviews about the benefits of vitamin B6. And some people have found that they do better with the active form “P-5-P” (or PLP: Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate ). And, I was wondering if, aside from trial and error), there’s any other indicators or history that a person may find that they need the active form, as opposed to the typical form.
>
> **Ray Peat:** With either form of vitamin B6, it’s possible to overdose. I think people are finding that the active form is easier to overdose with; it used to take several hundred mg several months to produce toxic effects on the nerves; but some people are seeing that with as little as 50mg over a prolonged time with the active form. I think it’s good to start with 10mg which is far beyond the normal day’s requirement. 10 to 20 mg is almost always all a person needs therapeutically of B6.

### Source 2 — Vitamin B1 can reverse heart damage/failure caused by alcoholism

Georgi Dinkov · Article · Jul 26, 2021 · https://haidut.me/?p=1584

> The beneficial effects of vitamin B1 (thiamine) on the nervous system have been known for a long time, and the vitamin is routinely used in hospitals around the world to treat both acute alcohol intoxication as well as the nervous system damage known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome caused by chronic alcohol abuse. It has been known for a long time that alcohol can also cause myopathies but medicine claims those are permanent and cannot be reversed, so not much progress has occurred on that front. Now, the study below demonstrated that a relatively low-dose thiamine (200mg daily) for 3-6 months can reverse (partially) the damage to the heart muscle as a result of alcohol abuse.
>
> [references]

### Source 3 — Exhausted? Tired all the Time? Low Energy? Chronic Fatigue -  Georgi Dinkov

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Jun 30, 2019 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdLJakdEhZs

> **Georgi Dinkov:** So vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is a cofactor for an enzyme called pyruvate dehydrogenase. And that enzyme is crucial for the proper metabolism of glucose. If you have a deficiency of vitamin B1, and I forgot to mention that all of the B complex vitamins get heavily depleted by stress. by alcohol, by electromagnetic radiation, by smoking, by having an abusive spouse or a partner, by being surrounded by toxic people. All of these things increase the requirements for the B vitamins because, as we discussed in one of the previous podcasts, any challenge from the environment needs to be met with an energetic response. It's a challenge response, challenge response. So any challenge from the environment that exceeds, let's say, the baseline of challenges we normally get, we need to get a you know commensurately bigger response which means more energy needs to be produced So if we're under constant stress, which means we're constantly using more of these B vitamins than we normally do at the baseline. So studies have shown that about 70% to 80% of the people are chronically deficient in at least one of the B vitamins. And without even one of them, if you have a deficiency of even one of them, chances are your energetic processes are not working well. You're not metabolizing glucose or even fat properly. They're just floating around and creating all kinds of havoc. I mean, free fatty acids are now known to destroy kidneys, destroy pancreas, destroy heart, hence the aspirin's beneficial effects. And all these things could be down to something very simple, such as deficiency of one or more of the B vitamins.

### Source 4 — Longevity

Ray Peat · Interview · Apr 12, 2014 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEgfGJ4BAGk

> **Ray Peat:** No, that was thiamine, B1. And B3, for major problems, including diabetes, probably arthritis and a lot of degenerative problems, taking 50 or 100mg several times a day of niacinamide can control the symptoms, reduce inflammation, protect the nerves and accelerate glucose oxidation and so on. And I should mention that, for some reason, I think Doctors like nicotinic acid, because it has such visible effects of making you turn red, but people generally don't like the feeling of flushing and it isn't good for your health because it releases serotonin, histamine and toxic prostaglandins, so it's actually causing damage when it flushes you. And in recent years, the market has been flooded by something they call 'no flush' niacin, but if you look at the label, you will see it is inositol hexanicotinate and that means that each molecule has six nicotinic acids and it's a little slower to release - that's why it doesn't cause the sudden, intense, flushing, but it's the same substance that's releasing those inflammatory, toxic substances. So it has to be niacinamide or the new niacinamide or nicotinamide 'riboside', which is just a variation on niacinamide. It's a lot more expensive, but if you have an allergic reaction to one, you can try the other.

### Source 5 — Vitamin B1 (thiamine) improves digestion and ameliorates constipation

Georgi Dinkov · Article · Jul 23, 2024 · https://haidut.me/?p=2588

> Reduced frequency of bowel movements is one of the most reliable signs of declining metabolic rate, and it just happens to be one of the most common signs of aging. Reduced bowel movements are also the main factor behind chronic, low-grade endotoxemia seen in most adults over 35, and this endotoxemia is now recognized as a culprit behind virtually every chronic disease known to medicine. Conversely, constipation relief is one of the reliable indicators of increased metabolic rate and has been demonstrated to result in reduced inflammation, both in the GI tract and systemically. Medicine has already recognized chronic constipation as a reliable sign of impending ill health, but the “solutions” it offers are at best misguided and at worst may exacerbate the underlying metabolic problems. In other words, the laxatives sold OTC in most stores are probably something to be avoided. Even the relatively benign magnesium hydroxide can cause GI irritation when taken in doses that result in increased motility. The study below may have a simple solution – vitamin B1, also known as thiamine. Vitamin B1 is crucial for the oxidative metabolism of glucose and for the production of CO2. Increasing CO2 levels in the GI tract has already been shown to resolve constipation and possibly even serious conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The study below suggests taking some extra B1 may be a simple and cheap way of resolving constipation, and thus systemic and digestive inflammation.
>
> [references]

### Source 6 — Nutrition for Women

Ray Peat · Book · 1993

> In a study of the thiamine content of dark roast coffee, it was found that one or two cups provide the minimum daily requirement of vitamin B1. Leaves contain magnesium, potassium, vitamins A, K, E and Q10 (ubiquinone), as well as other trace minerals and the B vitamins, so all kinds of tea must contain moderate amounts of these nutrients. About 20% of dietary niacin and manganese can be provided by coffee. In Russia, green tea is often prescribed for its vitamin P or rutin content. Seeds and leaves often contain chemicals which bind materials such as magnesium, zinc, and calcium, but these will break down and release the minerals under various conditions — the fermenting process in tea manufacture, for example, should have this effect. Some nutritionists have noticed that caffeine is said to raise insulin levels in the blood, and from this have reasoned that, since insulin promotes the conversion of glucose to fat, caffeine must be avoided in a reducing diet. Caffeine has a reputation for raising blood pressure, but the evidence is not clear on this point: it seems to be an individual matter whether it will raise or lower blood pressure. Caffeine, in fact, is prescribed in doses equivalent to 2 to 4 cups of coffee (200 to 400 mg.) to relieve hypertensive headaches (J. P. Merrill, in Principles of Internal Medicine, Harrison, 2nd edition, p. 1425). Coffee improves circulation to the brain; Benjamin Franklin and Goethe are said to have used 30 to 65 cups daily. This amount would be close to the maximum safe daily dosage of caffeine, 6 grams (Bennett and Bondy, Principles of Internal Medicine, p. 795). Very small doses of caffeine have a "paradoxical" sedative effect, but this is a familiar effect of anything which raises the brain's energy level. Caffeine (which doesn't necessarily have the same physiological effect as coffee) stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and raises the cellular level of cyclic AMP. Both of these effects promote lipolysis, the removal of fat from storage for use. This may account for the fact that coffee has been found to lower serum cholesterol and triglycerides, while raising the level of free fatty acids. Increased lipolysis would seem to be desirable in connection with a reducing diet.

### Source 7 — Vitamin B1 enhances physical activity and wakefulness by raising dopamine

Georgi Dinkov · Article · May 17, 2025 · https://haidut.me/?p=2793

> Several decades ago, researchers in Japan did a lot of research with vitamin B1 (thiamine), as well as its more lipophilic natural and synthetic analogs such as allithiamine, sulbitiamine, fursultiamine, benfotiamine, etc. The studies found that all forms of B1, but especially the more lipophilic ones, enhances both physical and cognitive function, likely by improving glucose metabolism. Namely, B1 is a co-factor for the rate-limiting enzyme in glucose metabolism known as pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), and when organisms receive extra B1 they metabolize glucose better, resulting in more CO2 and less lactate produced. Both lower lactate and higher CO2 are known to enhance muscle function, especially during longer term physical exertion. However, the mechanism of action for B1 improving cognitive function is murkier, though lower lactate and higher CO2 contribute to better cognitive function just like they do for muscle function. Since B1 administration was shown to significantly delay fatigue onset during exercise, the researchers in Japan suspected that neurotransmitters are involved in the effects of B1, yet were unable to conclusively prove such a link back then. Nowadays, we have the so-called “central fatigue” hypothesis, which states that fatigue is driven primarily by elevated brain levels of serotonin, combined with low levels of dopamine. The new study below, also done in Japan (and likely by a team that is an extension of same groups that started the work on B1 in the 1950s), demonstrates that B1, in the form of the more lipophilic version thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide (TTFD), robustly increased dopamine release in the brain, which then led to increased wakefulness and physical activity. Personally, I would take this results as an experimental confirmation of the “central fatigue” hypothesis. Byw, TTFD is better known as allithiamine and together with its close relative prosultiamine are the only naturally occurring lipophilic B1 analogs, found predominantly in the bulbs of plants from the garlic family. In fact, the unique odor/taste of the garlic-family plants is due to a large degree to the presence of those two lipophilic B1 analogs.

### Source 8 — Vitamin B1 and/or biotin may treat Huntington Disease (HD)

Georgi Dinkov · Article · Oct 20, 2021 · https://haidut.me/?p=1649

> As some of my own studies with cancer recently demonstrated, vitamins are no laughing matter when it comes to their ability to treat very serious conditions. This seems to be especially true in regards to the B vitamins, which are required co-factors for most of the metabolic reactions inside our organisms. The study below adds more to that line of evidence by demonstrating that conditions such as HD may be little more than organ-specific symptoms of intracellular deficiency of one or more of the B vitamins. I emphasized the word “intracellular”, because doctors have tested blood levels of those vitamins in patients with various conditions (including HD) and the levels have invariable came back normal. However, as is often the case (and mainstream medicine refuses to admit), normal blood levels of a substance does not imply normal intracellular levels as well. Aware of this discrepancy, the study authors checked thiamine (vitamin B1) and biotin (vitamin B7) levels in brains of animals with the equivalent of HD, as well as in autopsy samples of people who died with HD, and confirmed intracellular deficiency in both of these vitamins. So, the authors surmised that giving pharmacological doses of those vitamins may be able to reverse that intracellular deficiency, and indeed that’s exactly what happened, with the end result being great amelioration of HD symptoms. I can’t get access to the full study so I can get the actual doses, but human studies with Crohn’s disease(CD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have also confirmed intracellular deficiency of those vitamins and has successfully treated the deficiencies (as well as the actual pathology, at least in regards to MS) with about 600mg thiamine (for CD) and 300mg biotin (for MS) daily. The mechanism of action for the therapeutic benefit of those vitamins in both conditions has already been confirmed to be improvement of oxidative metabolism, with consequent increase in ATP and CO2 synthesis.
>
> [references]

### Source 9 — Longevity

Ray Peat · Interview · Apr 12, 2014 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEgfGJ4BAGk

> **Andrew Murray:** OK so I just very quickly want you to remind listeners, the dose, and you mentioned specifically for cancers even, for B1 and you mentioned: two to three hundred milligrams in divided doses?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Yeah, it's safe to take as much as 300mg during a day.
>
> **Andrew Murray:** And again, what would the benefits of that be?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Lowering lactic acid, stimulating the oxidation of it and so you produce more carbon dioxide and less lactic acid. That shifts away from inflammation. Lactic acid is keeping the cancer developing by creating an inflammation and disturbing the pH balance.
>
> **Andrew Murray:** Well, OK, we do have a couple more callers, so we should probably take this next caller and see where it takes us...
>
> **Caller:** Hi, I'm from Laytonville, I have two questions: you mentioned the body temp and I have always had a low body temp like 97.4-ish. Is that normal or...?
>
> **Andrew Murray:** No.
>
> **Caller:** So, what are some things? Like hot foods, ginger, what are some things [to do]?
>
> **Andrew Murray:** Well no, not particularly because they just cause peripheral vaso-dilation which might give you a feeling of warmth but might just cool you down. Dr Peat when he mentions temperature and pulses as a measure, as a good gauge for assessing thyroid function, that you should reach 98.6 during the daytime and preferably after breakfast in the morning and you should stay that kind of temperature pretty much all through the day until the evening. If you have consistently low body temperatures that do not seem to rise after food then that would be fairly suggestive of metabolic deficiency and particularly that you'd benefit from using thyroid hormone..

### Source 10 — Georgi Dinkov - Biohacking Mitochondria and Hormone Health for men and women - part 2

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Jan 17, 2018

> **Georgi Dinkov:** But the one that's very important and has great relevance for the buildup of lactic acid is the enzyme called pyruvate dehydrogenase. And that's the enzyme. So when you metabolize, when the glucose gets into the cell and goes through the steps of glycolysis, it ends up as pyruvate, right? So then in order for pyruvate to continue to provide useful energy to the cell, it has to get into the mitochondria, turn into acetal. coenzyme A, and then feed into the Krebs cycle, etc., etc. So pyruvate needs to be converted into another substance, and the enzyme that does that is pyruvate dehydrogenase. So if you don't have a well-functioning enzyme of pyruvate dehydrogenase, by the way, its activity is greatly decreased in diabetes and cancer and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and all these conditions. So if you don't have a well-functioning enzyme, basically this excess of pyruvate builds up because the Obviously, the cell will constantly try to produce even more energy to satisfy energetic demands. This excess of pyruvate is going to be turned into lactate. So a great way to suppress the rise of lactic acid is to take a substance that increases the activity of the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase. One such substance is vitamin B1, aka thiamine. Another known cofactor of this enzyme is magnesium. So taking one or the other, or preferably both, is probably going to have a performance enhancing effect no matter whether you're doing endurance or weightlifting exercises. And in fact, there are some synthetic versions of thiamine that are currently banned by the International Olympic Committee precisely because they have a performance enhancing effect. But the International Olympic Committee cannot ban regular vitamin B1. They can ban the synthetic versions that have been... because they apparently have greater lipophilicity. In other words, they get into your cell more easily. They're fat-soluble, so you can achieve more with lower dose.

### Source 11 — Vitamin B1 (thiamine) may improve gut motility and relieve constipation/IBS

Georgi Dinkov · Article · May 24, 2026 · https://haidut.me/?p=3048

> Gut motility is perhaps the single most important factor controlling endotoxin absorption from the gut into the bloodstream. Constipation increases gut transit time, allowing Gram-negative bacteria to proliferate and release large quantities of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) . Endotoxin then triggers systemic inflammation, serotonin release (90% of serotonin is in the gut), and a host of chronic diseases. Ray Peat has long recommended raw carrot salad (with coconut oil and vinegar) as a gentle, fiber-based way to bind endotoxin and improve motility. I have written extensively about antibiotics (such as penicillin or doxycycline) for more severe cases. Now, a large genetic study published in Gut has identified that vitamin B1 (thiamine) metabolism is a key determinant of gut motility and IBS risk. While the article focuses on the genetic associations, the real mechanism — which the authors do not discuss — is the bioenergetic role of B1 in supporting oxidative metabolism and raising CO₂ levels.
>
> As the study below demonstrates, researchers analyzed data from more than 268,000 people across six biobanks (European and East Asian) and identified 21 genetic locations associated with stool frequency (SF) — a proxy for gut motility. The top variant affects SLC35F3, a gene that transports vitamin B1 (thiamine) into cells. Another variant affects XPR1, a phosphate exporter that is essential for converting thiamine into its biologically active form, thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) . Observational dietary data confirmed that higher thiamine intake was associated with higher stool frequency (i.e., less constipation), and the effect depended on which gene variants a person carried.
>
> The study concludes that vitamin B1 metabolism plays a “surprising role” in gut motility and opens possibilities for dietary or drug interventions targeting thiamine pathways. But the mechanism is not surprising at all to anyone familiar with bioenergetics. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is the essential cofactor for three critical enzymes:
>
> - Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) — the rate-limiting enzyme for carbohydrate oxidation. PDH converts pyruvate to acetyl-CoA, allowing glucose to enter the TCA cycle and be oxidized to CO₂.

### Source 12 — Vitamin B1 as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

Georgi Dinkov · Article · Jul 12, 2022 · https://haidut.me/?p=1914

> After decades of denial that AD is a metabolic condition, Big Pharma and Big Govt, are silently doing an 180-degree turn by secretly funding university clinical trials for metabolic interventions in that disease. The study below will evaluate the effects of benfotiamine – a lipophilic analog of thiamine (vitamin B1) – on mild to moderate AD. As the PR page says, there is strong evidence that raising levels of B1 in the brain may be an effective treatment for the less severe forms of the diseases, and the lipophilic analogues of vitamin B1 are known to reliably raise both thiamine and thiamine pyrophosphate levels in the brain. In contrast, most studies with regular thiamine (as the Hcl or nitrate salts) do not demonstrate increases of B1 and active co-factor in the brain, even if the precursors were administered through IV. The human dosage will likely be 300mg twice day.
>
> [references]

_Generated 2026-07-20 from the Bioenergetic Oracle corpus._