Beriberi Disease: What Is Natural Diet For Thiamine Deficiency

What Is Beriberi Disease?

Beriberi is a disease that is now confined to the poorest regions of Southeast Asia and is best avoided by consuming food products rich in thiamine such as under milled rice or par boiled rice. This disease has reduced considerably over the past several decades because of the increased addition of pulses and legumes in one’s daily diet as these are food products rich in thiamine. There are two kinds of beriberi, dry and wet. Dry beriberi is symptomized by a stiffness and heaviness in the legs, numbness, weakness and pins and needles. The ankle jerk reflexes of the person are lost and sometimes mild signs and symptoms are present for years before the condition is detected. Wet beriberi on the other hand, causes edema of the legs, although this can extend to the whole body leading to ascites and pleural effusions. Incidentally, the peripheral edema may mask the accompanying symptoms of dry beriberi. The most noticeable symptoms of beriberi include apathy and general fatigue, general irritability, depression, an inability to concentrate, drowsiness, anorexia, vomiting, pain in the abdominal region and in an advanced state, congestive heart failure accompanied by dyspnea, orthopnea and edema. Advanced stages of beriberi require immediate medical attention as it may be fatal. Breast feeding mothers and dialysis patients who are on a heavy dosage of diuretics are at an increased risk of vitamin deficiencies and the condition can easily be passed on from mother to child. This thiamine deficiency disease can also be caused if the patient is suffering from hyperthyroidism.

Natural Diet And Remedies For Beriberi

Home remedies for this condition involve consuming a healthy diet which includes rice bran, brown rice, whole grain brown bread, milk, and legumes. Avoid polished or de-husked rice as the quantities of thiamine are at a bare minimum. Rice can be boiled in water and the excess water can be drained and kept in a separate vessel. Drinking this water periodically will provide you with the necessary Vitamin B1 or thiamine. It is important to not drink too much water after your meals as the vitamin happens to be water soluble and can then be flushed out of the body. If you are suffering from a thiamine deficiency, it would be advisable to avoid shellfish, clams, shrimps, mussels, and uncooked meats like sushi as these items of food contain an enzyme called thiaminase which may lead to a breakdown of the thiamine present in the body. Hence their consumption must be reduced as much as possible to retain the thiamine present in the body.