Vitamin B1 dosage is not frequently addressed by healthy adults because it is quite easy to consume your RDA (recommended daily allowance) simply by eating the meals you typically eat. Because of the wide variety of food that are rich in thiamine, healthy adults don’t usually need to supplement the thiamine they ingest while eating.
However, for those that are 50 or older, pregnant or breastfeeding, or have certain chronic conditions, even a slight thiamine deficiency can wreak havoc on your body. This can also take place with vegetarians or vegans and the solution is simply to take supplemental vitamin B1 dosage suitable for your body.
Vitamin B1 RDA
When it comes to the proper vitamin B1 dosage, it is fairly simple to calculate what your vitamin B1 RDA amount should be because the chart is pretty simple and easy to follow. It is split into male and female, and then the RDA varies based on the age group that you happen to fall into.
There is a chart for pediatric RDA amounts, and it is for everyone under the age of 14. There is a 14-18 years of age vitamin B1 RDA, and finally the adults 18 and over vitamin B1 RDA. Pregnant and breastfeeding women fall into their own categories based on what stage they are currently in.
Adults with mild thiamine deficiency fall into one dosage amount, and those with severe deficiency, or beriberi syndrome, fall into a higher supplemental dosage amount. You should consult your primary physician prior to starting a vitamin supplement program, even if you believe you’re in perfect health.
How Much Vitamin B1 Should You Take?
For healthy adults over 18 years old, it is quite simple to determine how much vitamin B1 you should take. For men, aged 18 through 55, you need to have a daily consumption of 1.2mg of thiamine. For women, who aren’t pregnant or breastfeeding, and are 18 through 55, you need to consume 1.1mg of thiamine daily.
Pregnant women should consume 1.4mg of thiamine daily. Breastfeeding women need to consume 1.5mg of thiamine daily. For adults with a slight thiamine deficiency, anywhere from 5mg to 30mg should be taken as a supplemental dose every day. For severe thiamine deficiency, your doctor will determine how much vitamin B1 you should take, as it could be anywhere up to 300mg daily.
Vitamin B1 Dosage for Children
Just like the adult vitamin RDA charts, the children vitamin RDA charts are broken into age groups. For children one to three years old, thiamine RDA is .5mg per day. For children four to eight years old, thiamine RDA is .6mg per day.
Children nine to thirteen years old have a thiamine RDA of .9mg per day. Finally, children 14 through 18 years old are separated by sex. For males 14 through 18, the thiamine RDA is 1.2mg daily. For females 14-18, thiamine RDA is 1mg daily.
READ ALSO: 6 Amazing Health Benefits of Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1 Supplements
Vitamin B1 supplements can be prescribed or come in the over the counter pill form. If it is deemed necessary by your physician, a shot of thiamine can be delivered into your muscle. If a vitamin B1 supplement shot is ordered for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal, it would be administered as a 200mg shot, most likely.
Most adults suffering from mild thiamine deficiency take vitamin B1 supplements in the five to thirty mg range, and they are taken orally on a daily basis. Some other conditions that are treated with vitamin B1 supplements in varying vitamin B1 dosage levels include:
- Ulcerative colitis
- Immune system deficiencies due to chronic diseases like AIDS
- Diabetic pain
- Heart disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
If your doctor prescribes vitamin B1 supplements for any of these conditions, or another condition that a higher vitamin B1 dosage treats, your doctor would also recommend a dosage level they would like for you to take daily.
Most healthy adults won’t need to supplement the vitamin B1 dosage that they get from eating balanced meals daily. However, older people or people with chronic conditions and compromised immune systems may be prescribed higher vitamin B1 daily dosages by their doctor.