A guide to getting enough vitamin B1
A Guide to Getting Enough Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
There are eight B vitamins, and it's easy to lose track of what each one does. Vitamin B1 — thiamine — is one of the most fundamental: it helps your body turn the food you eat into energy. Here's a clear, accurate guide to what B1 is, why you need it, the signs of running low, and how to get enough. For how the B vitamins work together, our B vitamins explained guide is a good companion read.
What Is Vitamin B1?
Vitamin B1 is one of the water-soluble B vitamins, which means your body doesn't store much of it and any excess is passed out in urine — so you need a regular supply from your diet. Its best-known job is helping convert the carbohydrates in your food into usable energy.
Using the officially authorised wording, thiamine contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, the normal function of the heart, the normal functioning of the nervous system, and normal psychological function. In short, it's quietly involved in keeping your body and mind ticking over.
What Happens If You Don't Get Enough?
True thiamine deficiency is uncommon in the UK, but it matters, because B1 is essential. The classic deficiency disease is beriberi, which affects the heart, nervous system and digestion. Deficiency is more likely in specific situations — for example heavy alcohol use, persistent vomiting, or certain medical conditions that affect absorption — rather than in the general population eating a varied diet.
Possible signs of low thiamine include fatigue, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, slow reflexes, and tingling in the arms or legs. These symptoms are non-specific and can point to many other things, so please don't self-diagnose — see your GP, who can check properly. The NHS has more on thiamine if you'd like a clinical source.
How Much Vitamin B1 Do I Need?
For most adults, the daily reference intake is around 1.1mg (the value used on UK supplement labels; some sources cite roughly 1mg for women and 1.2mg for men). Needs rise a little during pregnancy (about 1.4mg) and breastfeeding (about 1.5mg). The good news is that a healthy, balanced diet usually provides this comfortably — supplements are mainly relevant if your diet is limited or a health professional has advised them.
| Who | Approx. daily thiamine |
|---|---|
| Most adults | ~1.1mg (UK label reference value) |
| Pregnancy | ~1.4mg |
| Breastfeeding | ~1.5mg |
Figures vary slightly by source and country — these are general reference values, not medical advice. Your GP or midwife can give guidance for your situation.
How to Get More Vitamin B1
Plenty of everyday foods are good sources of thiamine. Try working more of these into your meals:
- Pork and beef
- Wholegrains and oats
- Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
- Nuts and seeds
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Yeast and yeast extract
One practical tip: thiamine is sensitive to heat and dissolves into cooking water, so steaming or using the cooking liquid (in soups or stews) helps retain more of it. If your diet is limited, a dedicated B1 or B-complex tablet from a pharmacy is an option — and if you suspect a genuine deficiency, that's a GP conversation, not a supermarket one.
Where Does Kollo Fit?
Kollo is first and foremost a marine collagen supplement, but each sachet also includes a blend of vitamins — B1, B5, B6, B12 and C, alongside the amino acid l-lysine. So if you take it, you're getting some thiamine as a helpful bonus on top of your collagen. To be clear and honest, though: Kollo is not a treatment for thiamine deficiency, and it's not a substitute for a balanced diet or for proper medical advice if you think your levels are low. Think of the B1 in Kollo as a small daily top-up, not a fix. If you'd like to understand combining vitamins and collagen, see multivitamins with collagen, and for the wider B-vitamin picture, how to get more B12.
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Shop Now →The Bottom Line
Vitamin B1 is a small but essential nutrient that helps power your body and supports your heart and nervous system. Most people get what they need from a varied diet rich in wholegrains, lean meat, legumes, nuts and seeds, and true deficiency is uncommon — but it's serious, so see your GP if symptoms persist. If you take Kollo, the B1 in each sachet is a welcome bonus alongside its collagen, never a replacement for good food or medical advice.
For more on supporting yourself through the everyday, our complete guide to liquid marine collagen and our women's wellness guide for over 40s tie the bigger picture together.
Kollo Health was co-founded by Jenni Falconer - TV presenter, Smooth Radio breakfast host, ten-time London Marathon runner and host of the RunPod podcast. Read her story and why she created Kollo.
