Thiamine Interactions

Alcohol blocks thiamine (vitamin B1) at every level — reducing intestinal absorption, impairing hepatic phosphorylation to its active form, and accelerating urinary loss. Thiamine deficiency in drinkers causes Wernicke encephalopathy (acute) and Korsakoff syndrome (chronic, often irreversible).

Black tea contains antithiamine factors - polyphenols such as tannins and chlorogenic acid - that oxidise thiamine (vitamin B1) into thiochrome-negative, biologically inactive forms in the gut. High habitual tea consumption has been linked to reduced thiamine status, especially in populations with marginal B1 intake.