Thiamin intake and cognitive function in older US adults
What it found
In 2,422 US adults aged 60 and over, higher dietary thiamin (vitamin B1) intake was linked to better scores on tests of thinking and memory.
This was a snapshot study, so it cannot show that thiamin caused the better scores.
What they found
Studies in people
Higher intake, better scores
People in the highest quarter for vitamin B1 intake had higher scores on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and the global cognition score than those in the lowest quarter. The link held after adjusting for many factors such as age, sex, education, smoking and health conditions.
Dose-response pattern
As vitamin B1 intake went up, cognitive scores tended to go up in a straight-line way. The authors say this pattern was linear.
Subgroup differences
The link between higher vitamin B1 intake and better global cognition was seen in people without diabetes and without coronary heart disease. It was also seen in people with high blood pressure.
No interaction found
The authors found no significant statistical interaction between vitamin B1 intake and the participant characteristics or other diseases they looked at.
What the authors conclude
“Increased dietary intake of vitamin B1 was associated with better cognitive function in individuals aged over 60.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that increased dietary intake of vitamin B1 was associated with better cognitive function in individuals aged over 60.
- They say their findings may provide support for further large-scale prospective studies to clarify the exact causality of this relationship.
How it was done
The authors note that cognitive impairment is rising as populations age, and they wanted to look at protective factors. They say the effect of dietary vitamin B1 on cognitive impairment in older adults was still uncertain.
They analysed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014, including 2,422 people aged 60 and over. Vitamin B1 intake was estimated by averaging two 24-hour diet recalls, and thinking skills were measured with three tests.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a cross-sectional study, so it cannot show whether higher thiamin intake came before better thinking skills or the other way around.
- The diet data came from self-reported 24-hour recalls, which can have measurement and recall errors.
- The results are from US adults and may not apply to other populations.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no competing interests.
- Authors work at
- The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, People's Republic of China
The paper
- Title
- Association between dietary vitamin B1 intake and cognitive function among older adults: a cross-sectional study
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Jia W, Wang H, Li C, Shi J, Yong F, Jia H (2024). Association between dietary vitamin B1 intake and cognitive function among older adults: a cross-sectional study. Journal of translational medicine. doi:10.1186/s12967-024-04969-3Free full textPubMed 38365743DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error