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Electronic Letters to:

Review:
Derrick Lonsdale
A Review of the Biochemistry, Metabolism and Clinical Benefits of Thiamin(e) and Its Derivatives
eCAM 2006; 0: nek009v1 [Abstract] [PDF]
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[Read eLetter] Essence of Thiamine & Niacin
Joseph W Arabasz MD   (17 April 2006)

Essence of Thiamine & Niacin 17 April 2006
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Joseph W Arabasz MD,
Physician
Joseph W Arabasz MD PC 80206 USA

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Re: Essence of Thiamine & Niacin

Dear Dr Derrick Lonsdale MD,

I hope this note finds you well. I agree with your comments regarding Thiamine deficiency causing serious disease in Humans, where it is often underdiagnosed.

My opinion is that fatigue:depression::dementia:psychosis, and that Nutritional deficiencies of either Thiamine or Niacin cause severe fatigue and dementia, which are often unrecognized, and therefore untreated in many Patients, who therefore might be subjected to a medical misadventure.

While, as you have said, Thiamine stores in the body are about 30 mg, and with a MDR of 1.5 mg (or approximately 700 micrograms/1000 Cal of diet), reserve supplies of Vitamine B1 would be used up in fewer than thirty days. This might explain the possible presence of a fatigue syndrome in slaves arriving to the New World, which was always at least a month's voyage on the Atlantic. Perhaps the "n" word, referring originally to a lazy person, really only described the fatigue of a Thiamine deficiency, which slaves acquired on their trips from the dark continent.

Your Article is excellent food for thought.

Best wishes always.

Cordially,

Joseph W Arabasz MD PC

Past Division Chairman, Anesthesiology, Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois

Past Chairman, Respiratory Therapy, Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois

Diplomate ABA

Mensa

Sigma Xi, The Professional International Science Research Society (SigmaXi.org)

Conflict of Interest:

None declared