Preliminary investigation of thiamine and alcohol intake in clinical and healthy samples

Insufficient thiamine intake during heavy alcohol dependence has been well established as a precursor to alcohol-related brain damage, including Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This study compared the alcohol and thiamine intakes of 35 alcohol-dependent patients upon admission for detoxification with 49 healthy young undergraduates. Subjects were interviewed using a retrospective diary that recorded alcohol and food and vitamin consumption for the previous seven days. As predicted, the clinical group consumed significantly less thiamine than the healthy group, and well below the minimum safe daily intakes. Findings have implications for the prevention of alcohol-related brain damage and public health policy.