Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Research & Evidence

SupplementScience.ai Editorial Team·Evidence-Based Supplement Research

Published Mar 11, 2026

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Evidence Level

Strong

Thiamine's role in metabolism and neurological function is well-established. Stracke et al. (2008) demonstrated in an RCT that benfotiamine at 300 mg/day significantly improved neuropathy symptom scores in type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. A 2013 systematic review by Whitfield et al. found that thiamine deficiency is underdiagnosed in developed countries, particularly among alcoholics (up to 80% prevalence), elderly in institutions, and patients with heart failure. Schoenenberger et al. (2012) showed that thiamine supplementation improved left ventricular ejection fraction in heart failure patients with thiamine deficiency.

Evidence by Condition

Condition	Studied Dose	Evidence
General health	1.1-1.2 mg daily	Strong
Diabetic neuropathy	150-300 mg benfotiamine daily	Moderate
Alcohol recovery	100-250 mg thiamine daily	Strong
Energy and cognitive support	50-100 mg daily	Moderate

Full Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Guide

References

Stracke H, Gaus W, Achenbach U, Federlin K, Bretzel RG (2008). Benfotiamine in diabetic polyneuropathy (BENDIP): results of a randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes. DOI PubMed
Whitfield KC, Bourassa MW, Adamolekun B, et al. (2018). Thiamine deficiency disorders: diagnosis, prevalence, and a roadmap for global control programs. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. DOI PubMed
Schoenenberger AW, Schoenenberger-Berzins R, der Maur CA, et al. (2012). Thiamine supplementation in symptomatic chronic heart failure: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over pilot study. Clinical Research in Cardiology. DOI PubMed