Vitamin B1, or thiamine, is found naturally in certain foods like pork and salmon. Manufacturers enrich other foods with thiamine.

Vitamin B1 is an essential nutrient. This means the body cannot make it and humans must get it from their diet. Like all the other B vitamins and vitamin C, it is a water-soluble vitamin.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin B1 for adults aged 19 years and up in the United States is 1.2 milligrams (mg) for males and 1.1 mg for females. The RDA increases to 1.4 mg during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Some foods are naturally high in vitamin B1.

Individual vitamins within the B-vitamin group work together to exert health-promoting effects such as energy production. This is why many of these vitamin B1-rich foods contain a combination of the B vitamins and other nutrients.

Read on for a review of some key vitamin B1 foods to consider including in a diet.

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A 100-gram (g) serving of broiled or baked pork chop contains 0.565 mg of vitamin B1.

A pork chop is also a source of vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), folate (vitamin B9), and vitamin B12 (cobalamin), as well as a range of essential minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and selenium.

A 100-g serving of cooked wild Atlantic salmon has 0.275 mg of vitamin B1.

Salmon is also a source of all the B vitamins, vitamin A, and essential fatty acids, and it contains a range of essential minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and selenium.

A 100-g serving of canned black beans contains 0.196 mg of vitamin B1.

Canned black beans are also a source of vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K (phylloquinone). Additionally, they provide the essential minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and selenium.

A 100-g serving of steamed mussels contains 0.303 mg of vitamin B1.

Steamed mussels also provide vitamin C, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin K, along with the essential minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and selenium.

A 100-g serving of cooked brown rice contains 0.177 mg of vitamin B1.

Cooked brown rice is also a source of vitamins B2, B3, B6, E, and K, as well as folate. It provides the essential minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, and selenium.

Every 100 g of sunflower seeds contains 0.106 mg of vitamin B1.

Unsalted sunflower seeds also contain a range of other essential nutrients, including vitamins B2, B3, B6, C, E, and K; folate; and beta carotene. Additionally, they contain the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, and selenium.

A 100-g serving of green peas, cooked from frozen, contains 0.282 mg of vitamin B1.

Cooked frozen green peas also contain vitamins B2, B3, B6, C, E, and K, as well as folate and beta carotene. The body can potentially turn beta carotene into vitamin A.

Green peas provide the essential minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, and selenium.

A 100-g serving of unsalted pecans contains 0.64 mg of vitamin B1.

Pecans also contain a range of other nutrients, including vitamins B2, B3, B6, C, E, and K; folate; and beta carotene. Additionally, pecans provide the essential minerals calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, and selenium.

Rather than being naturally high in vitamin B1, some vitamin B1 foods are high in the nutrient as a result of enrichment. Breakfast cereals and white rice are examples of these foods.

Brown rice naturally contains much more vitamin B1 than white rice. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), non-enriched white rice has only one-tenth of the vitamin B1 content of non-enriched brown rice. Food producers often enrich white rice with vitamin B1.

Around 80% of the vitamin B1 in an adult’s body takes the form of thiamine diphosphate (TDP). This form of vitamin B1 provides essential support to five enzymes — stimulators of chemical reactions in the body — needed to metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

Because of this important role in energy metabolism, vitamin B1 is also essential for cell growth, development, and function.

The body stores vitamin B1 in the liver, but in only small amounts (25–30 mg). Vitamin B1 stays in the body for only a short time, so humans need to take in a continuous supply of it from food and, in some cases, from supplements.

Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is an essential nutrient, meaning that humans need to get it from their diet to maintain good health.

Some foods, like pork and brown rice, are naturally high in vitamin B1. Food manufacturers enrich other foods, such as white rice and breakfast cereals, with vitamin B1.

This nutrient is important for energy metabolism and, therefore, for the growth, development, and functioning of cells.