Vitamin B1 loss related to alcoholism, leads to dementia

Vienese researchers have found that alcoholism and extreme alcohol consumption, evident in five percent of the Austrian population, leads to B1 loss and excess iron in the brain. The iron deposits contribute to dementia.

In a release, a team at Medical University of Vienna state:

"A common consequence of chronically high alcohol consumption is a decline in cognitive function, which can even progress to full-blown dementia. However, we do not yet fully understand how alcohol damages the brain. A research group led by Stephan Listabarth from MedUni Vienna's Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of Social Psychiatry, has now developed a hypothesis whereby iron deposits in the brain – resulting from alcohol-induced vitamin B1 deficiency – can be regarded as key factors in cognitive decline. The work has now been published in the leading journal "Alzheimer’s and Dementia". Researchers find that thiamine can be useful in offsetting the ill effects. In the journal they write: "Furthermore, we suggest thiamine, which is frequently depleted in AUD [alcohol-related dementia], to be a key modulator in this process: Thiamine deficiency impairs the integrity of the blood‐brain barrier, thereby enabling iron to pass through and accumulate in the brain." Thiamine can be found in whole foods, such as macadamia nuts, pork, beans and lentils, as well as fortified breakfast cereals.

Alzheimer's and Dementia affect an estimated 5 million Americans, with an estimated 5.8 million Americans aged 65 and older living with Alzheimer's dementia in 2020. Eighty percent are age 75 or older. One in 10 people age 65 and older (10%) has Alzheimer's dementia, according to Alz.org. The effects are excrutiating, not only for the patient but for the family members who have to watch their loved one deteriorate, forgetting their children's or spouse's name or even simple names for everyday objects. Thus, the implications from Austria could have huge ramifications here in the States.

One of the consequences of alcoholism is a decline in cognitive function, especially memory and abstraction, the researchers write. This is then referred to as alcohol-related dementia. However, they say they do not yet fully understand the exact "pathomechanism" - the way in which the brain is damaged by alcohol.

In the article "Does thiamine protect the brain from from iron overload and alcohol-related dementia", the authors site: "Presenile cognitive decline is frequently seen in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and has been referred to as a “21st‐century silent epidemic” due to increasing rates of alcohol consumption in recent years. Furthermore, AUD is accountable for a considerable amount of disease burden."

However, and optimitically,a "large cohort studies examining the association between alcohol consumption and dementia risk revealed a U‐shaped association, with moderate drinking patterns being associated with a decreased risk for dementia when compared with total abstinence, whereas heavy alcohol consumption inferred a markedly increased risk for dementia."

To read the article, please visit the journal publication here

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