Vitamin guide
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1, or thiamine, is a water-soluble B vitamin with clear authorised roles in energy metabolism, nervous-system function, psychological function and heart function.
Compare products ↓What is vitamin B1?
Vitamin B1 is thiamine, a water-soluble vitamin involved in carbohydrate and energy metabolism. Supplements commonly use thiamine hydrochloride or thiamine mononitrate, while some products use lipid-soluble thiamine derivatives.
What does vitamin B1 support?
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, normal nervous-system and psychological function, and normal heart function.
What happens if you don’t get enough vitamin B1?
Thiamine deficiency can affect the nervous system, muscles and heart. Early signs can include loss of appetite, weight loss, confusion, short-term memory problems and muscle weakness. More severe deficiency can cause beriberi, with peripheral nerve damage and, in some cases, heart failure.
Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome is a serious manifestation of thiamine deficiency, especially associated with chronic alcohol dependence but also seen with severe malabsorption or prolonged poor intake. It requires medical treatment rather than routine self-supplementation.
Thiamine hydrochloride, mononitrate or another form?
Thiamine hydrochloride and thiamine mononitrate are both common supplement forms. Product choice usually depends more on the labelled thiamine dose, serving and formulation than on assuming one ordinary B1 form is universally superior.
Benfotiamine is a lipid-soluble thiamine derivative used in some supplements and studied separately from standard thiamine. Check whether the label specifies benfotiamine or another thiamine form; they are distinct formulations.
Standalone B1 or a B-complex?
Thiamine is available both as a standalone high-strength supplement and as part of B-complex and multivitamin products. The EU Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) is 1.1 mg, while standalone products can provide many times this amount. If B1 is your main interest, compare the thiamine per recommended day; for a B-complex, look at the balance of the whole formula.
What should you compare?
Vitamin B1 / day
Compare the amount in the recommended daily serving.
Form
Check thiamine hydrochloride, mononitrate, benfotiamine or another labelled form.
Single ingredient or B-complex
B1 is frequently sold alone or as part of a B-complex, so compare the whole formulation if other B vitamins matter to you.
Product comparison
Compare vitamin B1 supplements
Compare vitamin B1 per day, form, serving, other active ingredients, format and vegan suitability.
How products are ordered: by labelled daily thiamine amount where directly comparable; equal amounts alphabetically. This is not a ranking.
| Product | Vitamin B1 / day | Form | Recommended serving | Other active ingredients | Format | Vegan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thorne B-Complex #12View product ↗ | 50 mg | Thiamine HCl | 1 capsule daily | Other B vitamins | Capsule | Yes |
| Lamberts Thiamin 100 mgView product ↗ | 100 mg | Thiamine HCl | 1 tablet daily | — | Tablet | Yes |
| Life Extension Benfotiamine with ThiamineView product ↗ | 100 mg thiamine + 400 mg benfotiamine/day | Thiamine HCl + benfotiamine | 1 vegetarian capsule 4 times daily | Benfotiamine 100 mg | Vegetarian capsule | Vegetarian |
| NOW Foods Vitamin B-1 100 mgView product ↗ | 100 mg | Thiamine HCl | 1 tablet daily with a meal | — | Tablet | Yes |
| Solgar Vitamin B1 100 mgView product ↗ | 100 mg | Thiamine HCl | 1 vegetable capsule daily, preferably with a meal | — | Vegetable capsule | Yes |
EU health claim details
Authorised health claims
A quick consumer view — full regulatory list available below● Thiamine contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.Energy metabolism · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Food must be at least a source of thiamine.
General food: 0.165 mg / 100 g or 100 ml
Beverage: 0.083 mg / 100 ml
Single-portion pack: 0.165 mg per portion
Calculated from the EU NRV significant-amount reference. Claim-specific conditions take precedence.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1222
EU legal source
SRC-432-2012
● Thiamine contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.Nervous system · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Food must be at least a source of thiamine.
General food: 0.165 mg / 100 g or 100 ml
Beverage: 0.083 mg / 100 ml
Single-portion pack: 0.165 mg per portion
Calculated from the EU NRV significant-amount reference. Claim-specific conditions take precedence.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1222
EU legal source
SRC-432-2012
● Thiamine contributes to normal psychological function.Psychological function · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Food must be at least a source of thiamine.
General food: 0.165 mg / 100 g or 100 ml
Beverage: 0.083 mg / 100 ml
Single-portion pack: 0.165 mg per portion
Calculated from the EU NRV significant-amount reference. Claim-specific conditions take precedence.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1755
EU legal source
SRC-432-2012
×Other assessed health claims (6)
Not authorised for use in the EUView claims ↓
Other assessed health claims (6)
Not authorised for use in the EU● Necessary for healthy teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails — assessed relationship: maintenance of bone.Bones ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1222
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
● Necessary for healthy teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails — assessed relationship: maintenance of hair.Hair ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1222
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
● Necessary for healthy teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails — assessed relationship: maintenance of nails.Nails ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1222
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
● Necessary for healthy teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails — assessed relationship: maintenance of skin.Skin ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1222
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
● Necessary for healthy teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails — assessed relationship: maintenance of teeth.Teeth ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1222
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
● Necessary to maintain energy and general vitality.General vitality ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1738
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because the claimed effect was not sufficiently defined to be assessed and therefore could not be substantiated.
Regulatory details
Check how the claims on this page are classified and where their regulatory information comes from.
View page-level details
- Ingredient
- Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
- Category
- Vitamin
- NRV
- 1.1 mg
- Authorised claims
- 4
- Other assessed claims
- 6
- Claim framework
- EU nutrition and health claims framework. Individual claim cards show the specific claim type, conditions of use, EFSA reference and legal source available in the version data.
Tip: expand any claim above for its claim-specific source details. The European Commission's EU Register is an information service; legal acts are the authoritative source for legal requirements, and some pending claims are not shown in the Register.
Claim use requirements
How much of this nutrient must a food contain for an EU health claim to be used?
0.083 mg / 100 ml for beverages
0.165 mg per portion if the package contains only one portion