We read the review(1) by Tanaka et al. and agree that vitamin insufficiency is the cause of various diseases.
However, there is a problem with the statement regarding vitamin B1 that ”vitamin B1 deficiency is no longer a serious health problem in Japan,” with recent studies reporting an increase in cases of vitamin B1 deficiency(2–4) and insufficiency(4,5) in cancer patients in Japan. In the United States, thiamine deficiency and/or insufficiency is recognized in 55% of cancer patients referred to psychiatric clinics.(6)
Vitamin B1 stores in the body are depleted in a few as about 18 days, and deficiency occurs if dietary intake continues to decline for 2–3 weeks.(7) Loss of appetite is a common condition in cancer patients.
Thus, it can be said that vitamin B1 deficiency in cancer patients is a condition that should be carefully monitored in the future in Japan.
References
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