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Beriberi is a condition that results when the body has a chronic shortage of thiamine (vitamin B1). Thiamine is necessary for digestion, metabolism and communication between nerves and muscles. Nutritionally, it is available from many foods, including lean meats, beans and whole grains. Enriched foods contain extra vitamins and thiamine is often among the additions.

In the United States and other Western, industrialized nations, dietary thiamine deficiency is rare. Many cases occur in conjunction with alcohol abuse, because alcohol reduces the body’s ability to absorb thiamine and increases its elimination from the body. Other occurrences of the disease may be related to medical treatments or conditions that limit the body’s ability to utilize the vitamin.

Early symptoms and signs of beriberi include fatigue, depression and loss of appetite. There are two general forms of beriberi: “wet” and “dry.” Wet beriberi impacts cardiovascular function and leads to swelling of the legs, fluid in the lungs, and rapid heart rate. Dry beriberi affects the nerves and muscles, causing memory loss and mental confusion, pain in the hands and feet, involuntary eye movements, and trouble moving and standing. In most cases, symptoms of wet and dry beriberi overlap, and prolonged thiamine deficiency may result in paralysis, heart failure and death.

To diagnose beriberi, the physician may assess the patient’s symptoms in response to a dose of the vitamin and measure the amount of thiamine in blood or urine. Initial treatment requires thiamine supplementation through injection or intravenous (I.V.) fluids. Following the first stages of recovery, thiamine supplements pills are often used. Recovery from some symptoms is often rapid. However, depending on severity, some of the disease’s effects (e.g., memory loss) may not be completely reversible.

Beriberi can largely be prevented by consuming a diet containing the recommended amounts of thiamine. Adults require between 1.1 and 1.4 milligrams per day (mg/d) according to the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences. People at greatest risk of not consuming sufficient thiamine should consult their physicians. This group includes pregnant or nursing mothers, patients undergoing dialysis treatments or taking diuretic drugs and abusers of alcohol.