Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Vitamin B1 Claims

  • maintain / support energy levels
  • maintain / support energy production
  • maintain / support nervous system function
  • Vitamin B1 maintains and supports energy levels

    Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, helps maintain energy levels by supporting metabolic processes in both the mother and foetus.

    Thiamine acts as a coenzyme in carbohydrate metabolism, helping break down glucose to release energy. Pregnant women have increased metabolic demands to support the growth of the placenta and foetus. Thiamine helps to ensure that carbohydrates are metabolized efficiently to provide the extra energy required during pregnancy.

    Thiamine is also essential for the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids (protein building blocks) and fatty acids, which are important energy sources for the foetus. The placenta transports thiamine to the fetus where it helps to make fatty acids from amino acids to fuel fetal growth and development.

    Thiamine also plays a role in the synthesis of neurotransmitters like acetylcholine that help regulate appetite, mood and sleep. Maintaining healthy levels of these neurotransmitters can help pregnant women sustain energy levels and combat common issues like fatigue, depression and insomnia.

    In summary, adequate thiamine intake during pregnancy helps maintain maternal energy levels by optimising carbohydrate metabolism, supporting fatty acid synthesis and regulating neurotransmitter production. This allows pregnant women to meet the increased demands of pregnancy while also providing her baby with the thiamine required for metabolic processes that generate energy and fuel growth.

    Vitamin B1 supports nervous system function

    In addition to supporting energy levels during pregnancy, thiamine also helps maintain nervous system function for both mother and baby. The nervous system requires a continuous supply of thiamine to produce neurotransmitters, myelinate nerve fibers and generate nerve impulses.

    For the mother, adequate thiamine intake helps to ensure proper functioning of the central nervous system which controls cognitive processes and motor coordination. This is especially important during pregnancy when hormonal changes can impact mood, memory and motor skills. Thiamine also supports the peripheral nervous system which regulates involuntary functions like digestion and heart rate. Maintaining healthy nervous system function allows pregnant women to cope better with common symptoms like nausea, constipation and fatigue.

    For the developing baby, thiamine is crucial for the formation and growth of the nervous system during early pregnancy. Thiamine acts as a cofactor for enzymes involved in synthesizing neurotransmitters and myelin sheaths that act like an insulator, which covers nerve fibers. It also helps generate nerve impulses that allows the nervous system to communicate properly during development.

    In the first trimester when the neural tube is forming, adequate thiamine levels help to ensure proper closure of the tube to prevent neural tube defects in the fetus. As pregnancy progresses, thiamine continues to support the rapid brain growth and nerve cell proliferation that occurs during the second and third trimesters.

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