Anti-thiamin compounds

These have been found in mung beans, rice bran, beets, Brussels sprouts, buckwheat seeds, and some berries. Some bioflavonoids such as quercetin and rutin have been reported to inactive thiamin. Thiaminases have been found in fish and shellfish, but in fish occur only in the viscera which are not normally eaten.²

Thiamin, or Vitamin B-1, aids in making energy through the metabolism of carbohydrates and is essential for the normal functioning of the nervous system, muscles & heart. Deficiency of thiamin results in a disease known as beriberi. Symptoms include weakness, loss of appetite, irritability, nervous tingling throughout the body, poor arm and leg coordination, and muscle pain deep in the calves.

References
Back to List of Endogenous Plant Toxins

Prepared Summer 1997 by Bernadene Magnuson, Ph.D.
University of Idaho, Dept. of Food Science and Toxicology - EXTOXNET FAQ Team.