THE URINARY EXCRETION OF THIAMINE AS AN INDEX OF THE NUTRITIONAL LEVEL: ASSESSMENT OF THE VALUE OF A TEST DOSE

Abstract

The 24-hr. urinary excretion of thiamine or the test-dose procedure or a combination of the 2 is a valuable laboratory adjunct to the clinical diagnosis of nutrition with respect to thiamin. The necessary control of thiamin intake is suitably secured by a balanced diet containing 800-900 7 of thiamine. Intramusc. inj. of 1 mg. of thiamine chloride is a satisfactory test dose. At a level of 0.4 mg. of thiamine per 1000 calories of diet, the minimal requirement for 5 women under the conditions, the avg. excretion during 24 hrs. was 119 7 and the recovery 21% of the test dose. Excretion of 100 [plus or minus] 10 7 or more in 24 hrs. and recovery of at least 20 [plus or minus] 2% of the test dose were considered evidence of adequate nutrition with respect to thiamine. Considerable thiamine was stored in 2 subjects after daily doses of 7.5 mg. of thiamine chloride for 37 days.