Thiamin
What it is · too little · too much · daily reference values by country
For reference only. This is not a diagnosis or a prescription. If you have concerns, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
What it is
- Most thiamin in the body is in the form of thiamin pyrophosphate, a coenzyme, and it plays a key role in carbohydrate metabolism and more. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- Thiamin is a water-soluble organic compound which belongs to the group of B-vitamins. It plays an important role in maintaining healthy nervous and cardiovascular systems. (European Food Safety Authority)
Getting too little
- When thiamin is low, loss of appetite, weight loss, and nervous and cardiovascular symptoms appear, and in severe cases beriberi appears. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- Thiamin deficiency can cause beriberi, a condition affecting the neurological and cardiovascular systems, with symptoms such as extreme fatigue, forgetfulness, poor coordination and weight loss. (European Food Safety Authority)
Getting too much
- There are no reports of toxicity from taking in a lot through diet and supplements, but more data and research are said to be needed on the safety of long-term, high-dose intake. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Daily reference values by country
Korea · US · EU — tap to open
These tables are daily reference values for healthy people. Numbers in the text above are a different kind of value, and you cannot diagnose yourself from them. How to read RDA, AI and UL
Korea — 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (Ministry of Health and Welfare)
| Group | EAR | RNI | AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 months | 0.2 mg | ||
| 6–11 months | 0.3 mg | ||
| 1–2 years | 0.4 mg | 0.4 mg | |
| 3–5 years | 0.4 mg | 0.5 mg | |
| Male · 6–8 years | 0.5 mg | 0.7 mg | |
| Male · 9–11 years | 0.7 mg | 0.9 mg | |
| Male · 12–14 years | 0.9 mg | 1.1 mg | |
| Male · 15–18 years | 1.1 mg | 1.3 mg | |
| Male · 19–29 years | 1 mg | 1.2 mg | |
| Male · 30–49 years | 1 mg | 1.2 mg | |
| Male · 50–64 years | 1 mg | 1.2 mg | |
| Male · 65–74 years | 0.9 mg | 1.1 mg | |
| Male · 75+ years | 0.9 mg | 1.1 mg | |
| Female · 6–8 years | 0.6 mg | 0.7 mg | |
| Female · 9–11 years | 0.8 mg | 0.9 mg | |
| Female · 12–14 years | 0.9 mg | 1.1 mg | |
| Female · 15–18 years | 0.9 mg | 1.1 mg | |
| Female · 19–29 years | 0.9 mg | 1.1 mg | |
| Female · 30–49 years | 0.9 mg | 1.1 mg | |
| Female · 50–64 years | 0.9 mg | 1.1 mg | |
| Female · 65–74 years | 0.8 mg | 1 mg | |
| Female · 75+ years | 0.7 mg | 0.8 mg | |
| Pregnancy | +0.4 mg | +0.4 mg | |
| Lactation | +0.3 mg | +0.4 mg |
US — NASEM (National Academies)
| Group | EAR | RDA | AI | UL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 years | 0.4 mg | 0.5 mg | — | |
| 4–8 years | 0.5 mg | 0.6 mg | — | |
| Male · 9–13 years | 0.7 mg | 0.9 mg | — | |
| Male · 14–18 years | 1 mg | 1.2 mg | — | |
| Male · 19–30 years | 1 mg | 1.2 mg | — | |
| Male · 31–50 years | 1 mg | 1.2 mg | — | |
| Male · 51–70 years | 1 mg | 1.2 mg | — | |
| Male · 71+ years | 1 mg | 1.2 mg | — | |
| Female · 9–13 years | 0.7 mg | 0.9 mg | — | |
| Female · 14–18 years | 0.9 mg | 1 mg | — | |
| Female · 19–30 years | 0.9 mg | 1.1 mg | — | |
| Female · 31–50 years | 0.9 mg | 1.1 mg | — | |
| Female · 51–70 years | 0.9 mg | 1.1 mg | — | |
| Female · 71+ years | 0.9 mg | 1.1 mg | — | |
| Pregnancy · 14–18 years | 1.2 mg | 1.4 mg | — | |
| Pregnancy · 19–30 years | 1.2 mg | 1.4 mg | — | |
| Pregnancy · 31–50 years | 1.2 mg | 1.4 mg | — | |
| Lactation · 14–18 years | 1.2 mg | 1.4 mg | — | |
| Lactation · 19–30 years | 1.2 mg | 1.4 mg | — | |
| Lactation · 31–50 years | 1.2 mg | 1.4 mg | — | |
| 0–6 months | 0.2 mg | — | ||
| 7–12 months | 0.3 mg | — |
EU — EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)
| Group | AR | PRI | UL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7–11 months | — | — | |
| 1–3 years | — | — | |
| 4–6 years | — | — | |
| 7–10 years | — | — | |
| 11–14 years | — | — | |
| 15–17 years | — | — | |
| 18+ years | — | — | — |
| Pregnancy · 18–60 years | — | — | |
| Lactation · 18–60 years | — | — | |
| Pregnancy · 18+ years | — | ||
| Lactation · 18+ years | — |
Sources
- EFSA DRV Finder (Dietary Reference Values) · checked 2026-10-07
- EFSA DRV Finder — nutrient descriptions · checked 2026-10-07
- EFSA Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (v11, August 2025) · checked 2026-10-07
- 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, Vol. 2: Vitamins (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
- 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans — summary tables (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
- NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (Appendix J, 2019) · checked 2026-10-07
The sentences are plain-language summaries of official sources written by SuppleBoard. Each English sentence was checked against the source text by an AI reviewer before publishing. The agencies do not endorse this site. Published 2026-10-16.