Guide To The Symptoms Of A Thiamine Deficiency

Weight Loss

Thiamine deficiency patients may exhibit weight loss as a symptomatic manifestation of their condition. Carbohydrates are a form of dietary nutrient the body utilizes to produce energy the cells are able to utilize. Weight loss may occur in a thiamine deficiency because the brain's mechanism of mediating low energy states in affected individuals called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) becomes impaired. AMPK in the hypothalamus acts to restore the balance of energy int the body through increasing production of glucose, stimulating feeding behavior, and stopping thermogenesis to slow the output of energy. However, a thiamine deficiency inhibits the action of AMPK in the hypothalamus, which cripples the mechanism the body uses to keep a balance between energy expenditure and energy intake. Without this balance, the patient will not have an appetite triggered by the AMPK mechanism, and the expenditure of energy at rest will not decrease. This negative energy balance burns away any calories and extra fat around the body during energy-making processes, resulting in obvious weight loss and anorexia in some cases.

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