Beriberi - Vitamin B Deficiancy

Beriberi

Beriberi is a vitamin b1 (thiamine) deficiency. There are different types of beriberi dry (Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome), wet (cardiovascular disease), oriental and infantile.

Causes: 

• inadequate intake of thiamine.
• eating a diet in which most calories are derived from polished rice (oriental).
• excessive alcohol consumption (dry and wet beriberi).
• inadequate intake in breastfeeding mothers (infantile).
• other cause can be patients under dialysis, patients receiving high doses of diuretics.
• rarely genetic inability to absorb thiamine.

 
Sign and symptoms: 

Dry beriberi:

• glucose metabolism is affected so there is weakness.
• pain, tingling numbness in hands and feet.
• difficulty walking.
• muscle wasting with loss of function or paralysis of lower extremities.
• strange eye movements - nystagmus.
• mental confusion and speech difficulties.
• brain damage - affecting language and thinking.
• coma.

Wet beriberi:

• general swelling.
• increased heart rate.
• tachycardia (increased pulse rate).
• lung congestion.
• enlarged heart - congestive heart failure.

Infantile beriberi:
In infantile beriberi the child is usually breastfed can have sudden convulsions, cyanosis and can go in a coma.

Dietary management: 

• avoid alcohol.
• avoid eating unpolished rice or cereals.

Consume: 

• increase intake of thiamine (vitamin b1)
• thiamine is found in almost all foodstuffs of animal and plant origin. Fats oils and sugars do not contain thiamine.
• animal origin: lean meat especially pork, fish, dairy products, poultry, egg yolk are good sources of thiamine.
• yeast is a very good source of thiamine.
• plant origin: cereals, pasta, whole grains like rice and wheat germ, dried beans, peas and soybeans are a good source of vitamin b1.
• fruits and vegetables are not high in thiamine content.
• you can take thiamine supplements.

Consult physician: 

If any of the above symptoms are observed consult your physician as immediate supplementation of injectable thiamine is essential.