sensation in the feet, very severe at night, pain, weak-
ness, and wasting of leg muscles. The other form, wet
beriberi, involves the heart and circulatory system and
leads to heart abnormalities. Symptoms include a high
output of blood from the heart, a fast heart rate, and
dilation of blood vessels, making the skin warm and
moist. Because the heart cannot maintain the high
output, it becomes stressed and heart failure may
occur, as well as abnormal fluid accumulation in the
legs (edema) and in the lungs (congestion). If
untreated, it leads to shock and death.InteractionsThiamin is known to interact with the following
medications and should not be taken at the same time:KEY TERMS
Amino acid—Organic (carbon-containing) mole-
cules that serve as the building blocks of proteins.
Alzheimer’s disease—A progressive, incurable con-
dition that destroys brain cells, gradually causing
loss of intellectual abilities, such as memory, and
extreme changes in personality and behavior.
Antibiotic—Drug that kills bacteria and other germs.
Antidepressants—Drugs used primarily to treat
depression.
B-group vitamins—Group of eight water-soluble
vitamins that are often present as a single, vitamin
complex in many natural sources, such as rice, liver
and yeast.
Carbohydrate—Any of a group of organic com-
pounds that includes sugars, starches, celluloses,
and gums and serves as a major energy source for
the body.
Chemotherapy—Treatment of cancer with drugs.
Cofactor—A compound that is essential for the
activity of an enzyme.
Crohn’s disease—Inflammatory disease that usually
occurs in the last section of the small intestine
(ileum), causing swelling in the intestines. It can
also occur in the large intestine.
Diuretic—A substance that increases the flow of
urine from the body.
Enzyme—A biological catalyst, meaning a sub-
stance that increases the speed of a chemical reac-
tion without being changed in the overall process.
Enzymes are proteins and vitally important to the
regulation of the chemistry of cells and organisms.
Epilepsy—A disorder of the brain that results in
recurrent, unprovoked seizures.
Fat-soluble vitamins—Vitamins, such as A, D, E and
K that are found in fat or oil-containing foods, and
which are stored in the liver, so that daily intake is
not really essential.Fibromyalgia—Widespread musculoskeletal pain and
fatigue disorder for whichthe cause is still unknown.
Metabolism—The sum of the processes (reactions)
by which a substance is assimilated and incorpo-
rated into the body or detoxified and excreted from
the body.
Micronutrients—Nutrients needed by the body in
small amounts. They include vitamins and minerals.
Multiple sclerosis—A chronic degenerative disease
of the central nervous system in which gradual
destruction of myelin occurs in patches throughout
the brain or spinal cord, interfering with the nerve
pathways and causing muscular weakness, loss of
coordination and speech and visual disturbances.
Protein—Biological molecules that consist of strings
of smaller units called amino acids, the ‘‘building
blocks’’ of proteins. In proteins, amino acids are
linked together in sequence as polypeptide chains
that fold into compact shapes of various sizes. Pro-
teins are required for the structure, function, and
regulation of the body’s cells, tissues, and organs,
and each protein has unique functions.
Recommended dietary allowance (RDA)—The lev-
els of intake of essential nutrients judged on the basis
of scientific knowledge to be adequate to meet the
nutrient needs of healthy persons by the Food and
Nutrition Board of the National Research Council/
National Academy of Sciences. The RDA is updated
periodically to reflect new knowledge. It is popularly
called the Recommended Daily Allowance.
Vitamin—A group of organic micronutrients,
present in minute quantities in natural foodstuffs,
that are essential to normal metabolism.
Water-soluble vitamins—Vitamins that are soluble
in water and which include the B-complex group
and vitamin C. Whatever water-soluble vitamins are
not used by the body are eliminated in urine, which
means that a continuous supply is needed in food.Thiamin