Evidence supporting the use of: Vitamin B1 (thiamine hydrochloride)
For the health condition: Anorexia
Synopsis
Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 3
Vitamin B1 (thiamine hydrochloride) is used in the treatment of anorexia primarily due to its critical role in carbohydrate metabolism and neurological function. Thiamine deficiency is well documented in individuals with malnutrition and chronic low food intake, conditions that can occur in patients with anorexia nervosa. Several clinical guidelines recommend thiamine supplementation as part of the refeeding process in anorexia nervosa to prevent the potentially fatal Wernicke’s encephalopathy, a neurological disorder caused by thiamine deficiency. Case reports and observational studies support the occurrence of low thiamine levels in severely malnourished patients, and supplementation is considered a precautionary, evidence-based practice during nutritional rehabilitation. However, direct randomized controlled trials specifically investigating thiamine’s impact on core anorexic symptoms are lacking. Its use is thus justified by scientific understanding of the risks associated with deficiency in malnourished states, rather than by evidence that thiamine supplementation improves appetite or psychological symptoms of anorexia itself. In summary, the evidence for thiamine use in anorexia is moderate (rated 3), grounded in established pathophysiological principles and the prevention of deficiency-related complications, rather than direct trials of efficacy for anorexia nervosa as a psychiatric condition.
More about Vitamin B1 (thiamine hydrochloride)
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Other health conditions supported by Vitamin B1 (thiamine hydrochloride)
AlcoholismAnorexia
Congestive Heart Failure
Diabetes
Fatigue
Heart (weakness)
Memory and Brain Function
Peripheral Neuropathy
Stress