| Beri beri | |||||
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- What is beri beri?
- Symptoms of beri beri
- Causes of beri beri
- Treatment of beri beri
- Important beri beri facts
Beri beri is a condition of the nervous system caused by a lack of vitamin B1 (thiamin) in the diet.
There are two types of beri beri:
- Dry beri beri - affects the heart and can sometimes be fatal
- Wet beri beri (endemic neuritis) - affects the peripheral nervous system
The following are the major symptoms associated with beri beri:
- Abdominal pain
- Foot and hand paralysis (later stage)
- Heart problems (later stage)
- Irritability
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle aches and pains (later stage)
- Peripheral neuritis (later stage)
- Poor concentration
- Swollen joints
- Tiredness
There is usually only one main cause of beri beri:
- Lack of vitamin B1 (thiamin) in the diet
There can also be other reason for this condition:
- Alcohol abuse - people who drink heavily may not be getting enough vitamin B1 (thiamin)
- Baby formula - there may be some odd baby formula which may not contain enough vitamin B1 (thiamin)
- Dialysis - can often cause a deficiency in all nutrients but especially of the water soluble ones like vitamin B1 (thiamin)
- Diuretics - long term use of diuretic drugs can cause a deficiency in all nutrients but especially of the water soluble ones like vitamin B1 (thiamin)
- Genetic factors - people with this rare genetic condition lose the ability to absorb vitamin B1 (thiamin) from their food
- Malnutrition - if not enough food is being eaten to get all the different vital nutrients required (like vitamin B1), then beri beri can ensue
- Mother to child - if a pregnant woman has a deficiency of vitamin B1 (thiamin), it can cause beri beri in the child
Beri beri is treated the following ways (conventional and alternative approaches are basically the same):
- Dietary advice - certain foods contain healthy levels of vitamin B1 (thiamin) naturally and these will be advised to be eaten (unrefined cereals, pork, peas, legumes, wheat bran, oatmeal, liver)
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin) injected intravenously - for serious deficiencies and in those people who cannot absorb it properly
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin) tablets - these work on less serious forms of the disease and in those who do not have any problem absorbing it
Recovery after treatment with vitamin B1 (thiamin) supplementation, either through injection or tablets, occurs fairly quickly.
- Beri beri is endemic to Indonesia and other Asian countries due to their reliance on white rice as a staple food, which has little vitamin B1 (thiamin)
- Beri beri is basically non-existent in most parts of the world, as foods that are processed are normally enriched with vitamin B1 (thiamin)
Last reviewed: 14 January 2007 || Last updated: 21 August 2007
Related Articles
references
- Betrosian AP, Thireos E, Toutouzas K, Zabaras P, Papadimitriou K, Sevastos N. Occidental beriberi and sudden death. Am J Med Sci. 2004 May;327(5):250-2
- Park JH, Lee JH, Jeong JO, Seong IW, Choi SW. Thiamine deficiency as a rare cause of reversible severe pulmonary hypertension. Int J Cardiol. 2007 Sep 14;121(1):e1-3. Epub 2007 Mar 7
- Soukaloun D, Kounnavong S, Pengdy B, Boupha B, Durondej S, Olness K, Newton PN, White NJ. Dietary and socio-economic factors associated with beriberi in breastfed Lao infants. Ann Trop Paediatr. 2003 Sep;23(3):181-6
To learn more, go to the following site:
- National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia)
NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
