Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) is primarily associated with which function?

• A. Nervous system
• B. Vision
• C. Blood clotting
• D. Calcium absorption

Answer: (A)

Thiamine’s main job is to act as a cofactor in carbohydrate metabolism, supplying the energy that nervous tissue depends on. It enables enzymes like pyruvate dehydrogenase to convert glucose into energy-rich compounds, so neurons—which need a steady, abundant energy supply—rely on it deeply. When thiamine is inadequate, brain and nerve functions can falter because energy production slows, leading to neurological symptoms seen in conditions like beriberi or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. That connection makes nervous system function the primary association for thiamine.

Vision, blood clotting, and calcium absorption involve other nutrients: vision is more tied to vitamin A or retinal function, blood clotting to vitamin K, and calcium absorption to vitamin D and related hormones.