Thiamin, also known as Vitamin B1, is classified as a water soluble B complex vitamin. This vitamin is needed for turning carbohydrates into energy and for breakdown of protein and fats. It plays a major role in muscle and heart function, and in maintaining a healthy nervous system.
Some of the symptoms of thiamin deficiency are headache, loss of memory, sleep or appetite, muscle tenderness. If left untreated, thiamin deficiency can lead to development of a disease called beriberi.
Some of the foods rich in thiamin are fish, pork, nuts, sunflower seeds, green peas. In developed countries beriberi is very rare disease, because foods such as cereals and breads are fortified with vitamin B1.