J-shaped curve apparent between dietary thiamine and worsening mental acuity

Medical Xpress / British Medical Journal / General Psychiatry ^ | Feb. 20, 2024 | Chengzhang Liu et al

[ConservativeMind]

There seems to be a J-shaped curve between dietary thiamine (vitamin B1) and worsening mental acuity among cognitively healthy older people, suggests research.

The sweet spot seems to be a daily intake of 0.68 mg. However, higher daily intake was strongly associated with cognitive decline, with the optimal maintenance dose of 0.6 to less than 1 mg/day, the findings show.

Thiamine is an essential water-soluble B vitamin involved in energy metabolism and brain neurotransmitter activity. Good dietary sources include whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, legumes, liver, and salmon.

It’s not clear if usual dietary intake is associated with slowing or speeding up cognitive decline.

The researchers used publicly available data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), a long-term multipurpose study that began in 1989 and which included nearly half the country's population by 2011.

The average monitoring period was nearly 6 years, during which time a J-shaped association emerged between dietary thiamine intake and the pace of decline in cognitive function over 5 years.

The average thiamine intake was 0.93 mg/day, but the threshold seemed to be a daily intake of 0.68 mg. There was no significant association with cognitive decline below this level.

But above 0.68 mg/day, each daily unit (1 mg/day) increase in thiamine intake was associated with a significant fall of 4.24 points in the global cognitive score and 0.49 units in the composite score within 5 years. Since the global cognitive score ranges from 0 to 27 points, a decline of about 4 points means a decline in cognitive function of at least 15%

This showed that the lowest risk was associated with a thiamine intake of 0.6 to less than 1 mg/day. Similar patterns were also observed after accounting for daily intake of other B vitamins (riboflavin and niacin) and other foods.

[steve86]

I am talking about L-theanine, not thiamine.

[steve86]

Thanks for that. I am also on Rx medication (not benzos) that helps but does not eliminate the problem. The anxiety is somewhat subsiding as I get older; 20 years ago it was severe at times with hyperventilation and all that.

[4Liberty]

Good info, thanks!

[dennisw]

Benfotiamine is a superior form of thiamine to take. More absorbable and stays in your body due to being oil based. YouTube raves about it

https://www.amazon.com/Bulksupplements-Benfotiamine-Powder-Vitamin-Thiamine/dp/B071W3BJPT?th=1