What the Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Test measures
Vitamin B1, or thiamine, helps the body turn food into energy and is essential for the nerves and the heart. The body keeps only a small store, so deficiency can develop within weeks when intake or absorption falls. People at higher risk include those who drink alcohol heavily, people who are malnourished or eating very little, anyone with prolonged vomiting (including severe vomiting in pregnancy), people after weight-loss surgery, people on dialysis or long-term diuretics, and diets made up mostly of polished white rice with little else. Severe deficiency causes beriberi, which can affect the nerves (tingling, burning feet, weak legs) or the heart (breathlessness and swelling), and Wernicke encephalopathy, with confusion, unsteady walking and abnormal eye movements. Wernicke encephalopathy is a medical emergency: doctors give thiamine straight away and do not wait for this test. The blood test is used to confirm a suspected deficiency, to assess nutrition in people at risk, and to follow treatment. It is a specialised test processed at a reference laboratory.
Price: the Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Test costs ₹4,160 at Pure Bliss (MRP ₹5,200), with the sample collected at our Action Area 2, New Town centre or at your home.
Who this test is for
- Heavy alcohol use, malnutrition or a very restricted diet
- Prolonged vomiting, or after weight-loss surgery
- Dialysis or long-term diuretic treatment
- Unexplained nerve symptoms or heart failure where a doctor suspects thiamine deficiency
How to prepare, the sample, and when to expect the report
Preparation
Our team will tell you when booking whether an overnight fast is needed. Tell us about any vitamin supplements or B-complex injections, as these change the result.
Sample
Blood, from a vein in the arm.
Reporting time
Specialised test: usually within 72 hours. We confirm the expected report date when booking.
Reading the result
Reference ranges differ between laboratories, so your report lists the laboratory’s own range beside each value. A result outside the range does not always mean illness; ask your doctor to explain it.
- Centre or home collection
- NABL-accredited Redcliffe Labs collection centre
- How collection works →