Many vitamins pose the risk of negative side effects if you gobble up too many. Following the daily intake recommendations for a vitamin is the best way to ensure you don't have to suffer the unpleasant side effects of too much. Vitamin B1, or thiamine, can produce unhealthy symptoms that you won't want to deal with if you overload on mega doses. Balancing vitamin B1 supplements with food sources helps you get just the right amount.
Daily Intake Recommendations
The recommended daily intake for vitamin B1 varies by age and gender. Adult females need 1.1 milligrams per day. This doesn't sound like much and considering that many supplements often range from 50 to 100 milligrams per dose, there's very little risk that you'll be deficient. However, this also means it's easy to pump your body too full of vitamin B1. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends taking a few minutes to give your doctor a call before taking thiamine supplements, though it's generally considered safe for most women.
Food Sources
Eating foods high in vitamin B1 combined with your daily supplement can mean you're getting way more than you really need in a day, which is probably not something you want to spend your time worrying about. Most women get enough thiamine from their diets, making a supplement unnecessary unless your doctor tells you otherwise. For example, a cup of your favorite fortified cereal can give you almost double the daily intake recommendation for vitamin B1. Lentils, wheat germ, bread, pork, some types of nuts, spinach, milk and eggs are other food sources that taste great and contain vitamin B1.
Toxicity Symptoms
There is no upper intake recommendation for vitamin B1 because there are no well-recorded incidents of toxicity, according to the University of Oregon's Linus Pauling Institute. This is comforting, but some women could experience anaphylactic symptoms with large doses of thiamine, which can be scary and life-threatening. It can also produce an upset stomach, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. If you're concerned about your vitamin B1 levels, talk to your doctor about tests that can ease your mind.
Considerations
Large doses of vitamin B1 can cause an imbalance of the other B vitamins, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Taking a B complex vitamin can prevent this and keep your levels of each where they should be. Vitamin B1 supplements can interfere with certain prescription medications. If you take heart medications or diuretics, vitamin B1 supplements can mess with their effectiveness, so be sure to mention this to your doctor before taking any vitamin B1. The best way to ensure you're getting enough of the nutrients essential to your health, including vitamin B1, is to eat a well-balanced diet made up of a variety of tasty foods from each food group.
References
Writer Bio
Eliza Martinez has written for print and online publications. She covers a variety of topics, including parenting, nutrition, mental health, gardening, food and crafts. Martinez holds a master's degree in psychology.