The Effects of a Diet Deficient in Part of the Vitamin B Complex Upon Men Doing Manual Labor

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Abstract
Ten men were subjected to hard daily physical work on a diet deficient in parts of the B complex, notably in thiamine, and adequate in all other respects. During the first week of the experiment five subjects received 2 mg. of thiamine hydrochloride per day, the other five, placebos. During the last week of the experiment all subjects received daily doses of 18 gm. of brewers' yeast containing ½ mg. of thiamine. The main results were as follows: (a) At the end of 1 week all subjects complained of easy fatigue and their physical fitness had deteriorated markedly; this was greater in the subjects without thiamine. (b) A majority of subjects without thiamine exhibited symptoms, sometimes acute, of muscle and joint pains, lack of well-being, poor appetite and constipation. These symptoms were mild or absent in the subjects receiving thiamine. (c) During the “yeast period” all symptoms disappeared and the usual level of fitness was regained more rapidly and more completely by the subjects who had received thiamine during the first week. (d) Changes in the electrocardiograms of certain subjects in both groups that were noticed at the end of the deficient period had disappeared by the end of the yeast period. (e) At the end of the first week, the daily urinary excretion of thiamine by the subjects who had not received this vitamin was low and well within the range characteristic of deficiency. The following conclusions are drawn: (a) When men are doing hard physical work even for a few days, there is an imperative need for an adequate daily intake of the vitamin B complex if physical fitness is to be maintained. (b) Of the vitamin B complex thiamine alone will not maintain the physical fitness of laborers in single daily doses of 2 mg. (c) Whole dried brewers' yeast, on the other hand, is a complete and adequate supplement for a diet grossly deficient in the vitamin B complex. (d) When addition of vitamin B complex to a ration is indicated, a natural product such as yeast would seem to be a sure source of all the necessary components.