Guide To The Symptoms Of A Thiamine Deficiency

Compromised Reflexes

Compromised reflexes may be a symptom manifestation of thiamine deficiency. Because thiamine is critical for the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins, a lack of it means these metabolic processes do not occur as much. As a side effect of this malfunction, the products of carbohydrate synthesis called pyruvic acid and lactic acid accumulate in the tissues and cause the progressive degeneration of nerve cells. The long nerves in the legs are typically affected first, and the long nerves of the arms follow. Because the nerves play a large role in the reflexes, damage to these nerves can result in a loss or reduction of the reflexive functions. Additionally, the wasting of muscle that occurs in individuals who have a thiamine deficiency due to inadequate energy production can contribute to the compromise of reflexes. The reason for this is because the muscle is the tissue that produces movement of the limb in a reflex. Both the muscular and neural components of the reflexes must be functional in order to produce a reflex movement in response to stimuli.

Discover additional thiamine deficiency symptoms now.