LEAD
Action News vol 10 no 2, June 2010, ISSN 1324-6011
Incorporating Lead Aware Times ( ISSN 1440-4966) and Lead Advisory Service
News (ISSN 1440-0561)
The Journal of The LEAD (Lead Education and Abatement Design) Group Inc.
Vitamin B1
(Thiamine or Thiamin)
is associated with lower level of blood lead and is comparable to vitamin
C in this regard, though it is not as effective on all serum (blood)
measures. In animal studies it increases lead excretion, particularly from
the brain. From animal studies it appears it may even be able to partially
repair some lead-induced brain damage.
Good
levels of thiamin are found in yeast, pork, whole grains, legumes (eg.
beans, peas and lentils), nuts, oranges and milk. Thiamine absorption and
utilization are reduced by alcohol consumption. Thiamine is a compulsory
food additive for bread in Australia and many western countries, though
organic bread is not fortified. No upper limit has generally been set for
thiamine since toxicity appears to be extremely low, and negative side
effects are rare (rarer than with vitamin C). Short-term side effects,
such as headaches, nausea and weakness have occasionally occurred at
supplemental doses above 5g but cease if dosages are reduced.
Vitamin
B1: the above items are rich in thiamine Top row: nuts (cashew
nuts pictured), milk, Milo, whole-grain biscuits (Vita-Wheat)
Middle Row: lentils, orange, whole grain bread Bottom row: pork,
snow peas, peas, beans.
Determinants of the
Blood Lead Level of US Women of Reproductive Age Lee, Mi-Gyung; Chun,
Ock Kyoung and Sung, Wan O. J Am College of Nutr, Vol. 24, No. 1,
1–9 (2005) www.jacn.org/cgi/reprint/24/1/1 [Finds that thiamine levels
are linked to significantly lower blood lead levels, with individuals
who consumed at least 1mg a day 7.5 times less likely to be in the top
10% of blood lead levels compared to those with minimal thiamine
intake.]
Lead Poisoning In
Silver Refiners And Its Prevention S.K. Tandon, M.
Chatterjee, A.
Bhargava, V. Shukla and
V. Behari Industrial Toxicology Research Centre,
Lucknow-226001, India www.cprm.gov.br/pgagem/Manuscripts/tandonsk.htm
[Finds that thiamine can reduce lead levels as effectively as vitamin
C, but that Vitamin C has wider effects on blood lead toxicity, such
as ALAD levels.]
Selection of
micronutrients used along with DMSA in the treatment of moderately
lead-intoxicated mice Yingjun Liao, Fei Yu, Yaping Jin, Chunwei Lu,
Gexin Li, Xuping Zhi, Li An and Jun Yang Arch Toxicol (2008)
82:37–43 http://202.118.40.5/OHOM/uploadfile/doc/kxyj/jyp/yw/5.pdf
[Contains a good brief overview of research that thiamine can increase
lead excretion, on page 42; also mentions taurine and zinc research.]
Selection of
Nutrients for Prevention or Amelioration of Lead-Induced Learning and
Memory Impairment in Rats Guangqin Fan, Chang Feng, Yu Li, C Wang, J
Yan, W Li, J Feng, X Shi and Y Bi Annals of Occup Hygiene 2009
53(4):341-351 http://annhyg.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/53/4/341
[Indicates that thiamin may actually repair some lead damaged learning
and memory functions.]
Effect of Ascorbic
Acid and Thiamine Supplementation at Different Concentrations on Lead
Toxicity in Liver Chunhong Wang, Jiancheng Liang, Chunlian Zhang, Y
Bi, X Shi And Q Shi Ann. Occup. Hyg., Vol. 51, No. 6, pp. 563–569,
2007 http://annhyg.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/51/6/563
[Demonstrates that, at least for the liver, optimum results from
thiamine can be obtained from a moderate rather than very high dose.
Note however, that being an animal study, the dose to body mass should
not simply be copied for human consumption].
Testing of chelating
agents and vitamins against lead toxicity using mammalian cell
cultures Anna B. Fischer, Cristine Hess, Tilo Neubauer and Thomas
Eikmann Analyst, January 1998, Vol. 123 (55-58) www.rsc.org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayArticleForFree.cfm?doi=a705518h&
JournalCode=AN [Finds that in cell cultures thiamin
inhibits lead uptake on a cellular level and reduces cytotoxicity
(cell toxicity).]