Thiamin is one of a group of vitamins called the "B vitamins." Another name for thiamin is vitamin B1. Thiamin works with other B vitamins to help your body use the energy it gets from food.
Thiamin is found in many whole grain foods, such as brown rice, grits and whole wheat bread. White breads, pastas, ready-to-eat cereals and many other baked products are "enriched" by the manufacturer with B vitamins like thiamin. Baked beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, and peanuts are good sources of thiamin, too. Nuts, seeds and other vegetables, and fruits supply a small amount of this B vitamin. Lean pork is one of the best sources of thiamin. Organ meats such as liver, heart or kidney, are considered to be other good animal sources of thiamin.
Thiamin is easily lost when foods are cooked or processed. When you cook vegetables some of the B vitamins go into the water. If you cook vegetables in a small amount of water and keep the lid on the pan, thiamin and the other B vitamins will not be lost. When you rinse rice or pastas, you rinse off some of these vitamins. So to keep the thiamin you need from these foods, it is important not to rinse the rice or pasta after you have cooked it.
To find out more about other B vitamins, read the files for Riboflavin, Niacin and B vitamins.
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