beriberi
2 interactions related to beriberi
black tea + thiamine
Black tea contains antithiamine factors - polyphenols such as tannins and chlorogenic acid - that can oxidise thiamine (vitamin B1) into biologically inactive forms in the gut before it is absorbed. Heavy habitual tea consumption has been linked to lower thiamine status, mainly in people whose dietary B1 intake is already marginal. For most well-nourished adults the effect is modest.
coffee + vitamin b1
Coffee and tea were historically labeled antithiamine beverages, but later biochemistry walked the claim back: chlorogenic and caffeic acids do not destroy thiamine under physiological conditions, and the real activity comes from polyphenol oxidation products and tannins, which are lower in coffee than tea. The net effect on thiamine status is modest and unlikely to matter for well-nourished people; it becomes relevant only on a marginal diet or in groups already prone to deficiency.