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Thiamine or thiamin or aneurine hydrochloride is also known more commonly as vitamin B1. Thiamine plays an important role in the body, helping metabolize carbohydrates and fat to produce energy and is essential for normal growth and development. Thiamine helps to maintain proper functioning of the heart and the nervous and digestive systems.

Thiamine is water-soluble and cannot be stored in the body, but once absorbed, the vitamin is concentrated in muscle tissue.

A lack of thiamine can be caused by various conditions including alcoholism, and
thiamine deficiency is associated with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and beriberi, both diseases that are common with chronic alcoholism.

Thiamine deficiency can be tested by measuring the activity of transketolase in erythrocyte.

The process of alcohol detoxification is liable to cause a large reduction of thiamine (vitamin B1) stores in patients who are already chronically thiamine deficient. So thiamine is often prescribed during the treatment of alcoholism, especially during the initial withdrawal period. A course of parenteral thiamine (Pabrinex) may be given over the first several days of detoxification as prophylaxis against the development of Wernicke's Encephalopathy and chronic memory deficits. The process of detoxification is liable to precipitate acute loss of thiamine (vitamin B1) stores in patients who are already chronically thiamine deficient.

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