Beriberi is a nutritional disorder caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1 or thiamine in the diet, it is characterized by damage to nerves and heart. Although some thiamine may be synthesized by bacteria living in the intestines, they cannot produce it in quantities large enough to meet the body's needs.

3 Major Forms of Beriberi:

• Wet beriberi is an acute disease that causes heart failure, anemia, and edema (an accumulation of body fluids that results in swelling).
• Dry beriberi is a chronic disease generally characterized by wasting and partial paralysis resulting from damaged peripheral nerve referred to as neuritis (inflammation of the nerves).
• Infantile beriberi occurs in infants who are nursed by mothers afflicted with beriberi. This form of the disease occurs within the first year of life, usually between the first and fourth month. It is characterized by rapid heartbeat, vomiting, convulsions, muscle wasting and edema in their arms and legs. If the infant is not treated immediately, he may die within a few days after the onset of the first symptoms.

People who are susceptible on developing Beriberi:

• It is common in people whose diet consists mainly of polished white rice which is very low in thiamine because the thiamine-bearing husk has been removed.
• It is also seen in chronic alcoholics because of inadequate diet.

• Baby that is mainly fed on the milk of a mother who suffers from thiamine deficiency.

How to Prevent Beriberi:

• A balanced diet containing all essential nutrients will prevent a thiamine deficiency and the development of beriberi. Sometimes a person whose diet includes raw fish may develop the disease eventhough he eats some thiamine-rich foods. This is because raw fish contains enzymes, called thiaminase that inactivates thiamine
• Drinking more than one glass of liquid with a meal should be avoided, since this may wash out the vitamins before they can be absorbed by the body.
• They may need to take vitamin supplements and should improve their diets.

Condition that requires a higher dose of thiamine: People with active metabolism, prolonged fever, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, person who suffer from extended diarrhea, chronic liver disease, patient who undergoes dialysis and alcoholics.

How to Diagnose Vitamin B1 deficiency: Levels of thiamine can be measured in the blood and urine and will be reduced if there is a deficiency. The urine can be collected for 24 hours to measure the level of thiamine excreted.

Causes of Beriberi : Thiamine is one of the B vitamins and plays an important role in energy metabolism and tissue building. When there is not enough thiamine in the diet, the basic energy functions are disturbed, leading to problems throughout the body.

Symptoms of Beriberi:

• Weight Loss
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Emotional Disturbances
• Impaired Sensory perception
• Poor memory
• Weakness
• Pain in the limbs
• Periods of irregular heart rate
• Swelling of the body tissue is common
• In advance cases: this disease may cause heart failure and death. It may also increase the amount of lactic acid in the blood.

Foods that are rich in Thiamine: whole wheat bread and unhusked rice, nuts, milk, brewer's yeast, lean pork, beef, liver, chicken, and legumes, such as peas.

Treatments for Beriberi:

• Smaller doses can be given either by injection or in pill form until the patients recovers.
• Infantile beriberi is treated by giving both the breastfeeding mother and infant until their thiamine level become normal.
• Severe cases of beriberi is treated with high doses of thiamine which is given by injection or in a solution (intravenously) for several days.

Recommended Daily Requirement of Thiamine:

• 0.5mg for every 1,000 calories with a minimum daily intake of 1mg even for those who eat fewer than 2,000 calories in a day.
• 1.4 mg for males over 11years old and 1.1mg for females (RDA for children and teenagers is the same as for adults)
• 1.5 mg for Pregnant women and Breastfeeding mothers.
• 0.4 mg for infant.