Why was thiamin fortification required?
Mandatory thiamin fortification of bread-making flour was introduced to reduce the incidence of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) in Australia. WKS is a degenerative brain disease associated with a high alcohol intake and a diet deficient in thiamin. Australia has a relatively high incidence of WKS compared to other countries. Thiamin plays a critical role in carbohydrate metabolism. A daily intake of 1.1 mg is recommended for good health in healthy adults since thiamin is not synthesised or stored in the body. The requirement for thiamin is increased for those consuming a diet high in sugar or alcohol. A short period of low thiamin supply may deplete thiamin reserves which can lead to subclinical thiamin deficiency. Thiamin fortification would help to increase the thiamin reserves of those who eat poorly and hence help to prevent WKS. In 1987, the NHMRC recommended addition of thiamin to beer and flagon wine to reduce the incidence of WKS. However, since fortification of alcoholic bev
