Description
For a vitamin discovered through catastrophic deficiency disease, thiamine (Vitamin B1) has become strangely invisible in modern health conversations. And yet, quietly and relentlessly, it sits at the gateway of carbohydrate metabolism itself. In this episode, Rachel revisits one of nutrition science’s oldest discoveries through an unmistakably contemporary lens – exploring how modern eating patterns may simultaneously increase our dependency on B1 while reducing the likelihood of obtaining enough of it.
From ultra-processed diets and alcohol intake to grain-free eating patterns, obesity, bariatric surgery, and the rise of GLP-1 medications, this episode examines why thiamine may be uniquely vulnerable in the modern metabolic landscape.
This is not an episode about demonising carbohydrates, glorifying low-carb diets, or promoting simplistic supplement narratives. It’s an exploration of metabolic context, nutritional trade-offs, and the hidden micronutrient costs embedded within contemporary food culture. Or, put more simply: the story of a tiny vitamin carrying a disproportionately heavy load.
