Thiamine HCL: How It Helps Treat Alcoholism

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What is thiamine hydrochloride?

Thiamine hydrochloride, or thiamine HCl, is a form of thiamine (vitamin B1) used therapeutically to treat individuals who are affected by significant thiamine deficiencies resulting from either malnutrition or abuse of alcohol. Thiamine is a water-soluble vitamin that needs to be replenished in the body daily as extant amounts leave the body through urination. Pure thiamine is frequently taken as a dietary supplement in tablet form. Thiamine hcl comprises thiamine dissolved in hydrochloric acid. As a form of saline, hydrochloric acid is used in numerous medical treatments for its ability to transform solid water solubles into a liquid form that may be safely administered intravenously into the bloodstream.

What Foods Contain Thiamine?

Thiamine is the primary permutation of the vitamin B family, or complex, which also includes riboflavin, biotin and folic acid. Of these, thiamine is responsible for many of the metabolic processes which ensure healthy muscle tone, the generation of red blood cells and the system of nerves around the heart. In addition, thiamine is responsible for turning glucose in the bloodstream, called blood sugar, into the energy required for the normal function of the body and the brain. The enzyme thiamine pyrophosphate, which is required for the breakdown of carbohydrates, uses thiamine as a catalytic cofactor that helps this breakdown occur more quickly. Foods including nuts, liver, milk products and whole rice have naturally high thiamine concentrations. Thiamine hcl is considered a vitamin supplement that, for dire instances of thiamine deficiency, may be injected into muscle or into the bloodstream.

What are the Symptoms of a Lack of Thiamine?

The body’s dependency on thiamine as an agent for regular healthy functioning means potentially debilitating health consequences in its absence. Symptoms including restlessness, feelings of nausea, pain in the abdominal region and swelling are all characteristic of little to no thiamine during a prolonged period of time.

The absence of thiamine from the diet commonly results from poor nutrition or a narrow diet. This is the reason for thiamine deficiency in many poor Eastern Asian populations. A scarcity of thiamine resources combined with high prices makes access to sufficient thiamine difficult in these regions. In western industrial nations, by contrast, thiamine-rich foods are more available and affordable, as are thiamine dietary supplements in liquid and tablet form. Nevertheless, thiamine deficiency continues to persist among demographics in these regions as well. In addition to the poor, thiamine deficiency occurs in individuals with a natural inability to retain thiamine, but it occurs mainly in those with an addiction to alcohol and a tendency for its habitual abuse.

The alcohol found in beverages chemically eradicates the body’s existing supply of thiamine resources. The intake of thiamine is also affected by alcoholic tendencies because alcohol abuse is usually characterized by reduced food consumption and, consequently, poor dietary habits. To this extent, prolonged abusive behavior associated with alcohol consumption can result in the damaging symptoms of thiamine deficiency combined with other effects of alcohol.

Regardless of the cause or matter of degree, individuals affected by thiamine deficiency are at a significant advantage with regard to the healing process. This is because the long-term effects of thiamine deficiency, assuming that they are left untreated, are fully reversible in most cases. Provided that the individual affected maintains a new set of healthy behaviors recommended by health agencies and or professionals while undergoing treatments of thiamine hcl on a recurring and consistent basis, that individual can expect to enjoy greater health and vitality as the symptoms of thiamine deficiency gradually diminish.

Why do They Give Alcoholics Thiamine HCL?

Roughly 15 types of vitamins participate in the healthy functioning and immunity of the human body. The role of vitamin B affects digestion and metabolism as well as the function of the nervous system. Manifest in eight distinct forms, vitamin B is not singular as it affects the body in different ways. Vitamin supplements comprising all eight forms of vitamin B are called vitamin B complex and contain vitamin B1, or thiamine; vitamin B2, or riboflavin; vitamin B3, or niacin; vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid; vitamin B6, or pyridoxine; vitamin B7, or biotin; vitamin B9, or folic acid; and vitamin B12, or cyanocobalamin.

The numerous bodily functions dependent on thiamine render thiamine deficiency a potentially debilitating condition, depending upon degree. Little to no thiamine in the diet can result in such symptoms as stomach pain, inability to sleep, nausea, incoherent speech and thought, as well as swelling of the heart and extremities. Referred to in total as a disease called beriberi, these symptoms, if left untreated, can lead to more serious conditions, including Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome characterized by a breakdown in psychological as well as digestive faculties. Thiamine deficiency is prevalent in developing countries, particularly in East Asia, due to the high price and uneven distribution of thiamine-rich foods. In developed industrial regions, thiamine deficiency is predominantly the result of alcohol consumption. To this extent, the severity of symptoms commonly associated with thiamine deficiency can almost always be correlated to alcoholism.

Alcohol, on its own as a chemical, breaks down thiamine molecules. Moreover, alcoholism is characterized by a tendency to not maintain a healthy and varied diet. Liver cirrhosis, which is a breakdown in liver function common in alcoholics, further exacerbates the effects of thiamine deficiency in that the liver cannot perform its own filtration and digestive functions. As a result, little if any thiamine enters the body while existing thiamine in the body is destroyed. For this reason, the treatment of alcoholism comprises the administering of thiamine hydrochloride, or thiamine hcl, in order to alleviate any existing effects of thiamine deficiency while preventing any further damage to the body. To the advantage of those affected, the length of time and progression of thiamine deficiency, resulting either from overconsumption of alcohol or from malnutrition, are largely inconsequential. The consistent replacement of thiamine in the body will gradually allow the necessary processes to occur in order for the affected individual to heal.

Resources about Thiamine HCL

WebMD information about Thiamine HCL

Drugs.com information about Thiamine HCL and its uses in both humans and animals

Oregon State’s Micronutrient Information Center and their information about Thiamine

Genetics and Alcoholism: Relationship Between the Y Chromosome and Alcohol Abuse

MedilinePlus answers questions about Thiamine HCL including; What is Thiamine HCL?, How effective is Thiamine HCL?, How does Thiamine HCL work?, Are there safety concerns?, Are there interactions with medications?, Are there interactions with herbs and supplements?, Are there interactions with foods?, What dose is used?, Other names for Thiamine HCL?

Resource by T.Price

I am a mom of 2 boys who loves to spend time with them doing fun things outdoors. In my spare time I have my own things I enjoy doing such as gardening, reading old books, and being a closet history buff.

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