Vitamin B1 in foods. Important information about vitamin B1 - where it is contained, what it is for and how it is used

What foods contain vitamin B1? Vitamin B1, or thiamine, is another B vitamin that dissolves in water. A person needs a daily intake of thiamine, as it is responsible for many important processes. Vitamin B1 is involved in carbohydrate metabolism, improves performance nervous system, stimulates the work of brain cells, acts as an antioxidant, is a good pain reliever and much more. This vitamin enters the body along with food. Let's find out which foods contain vitamin B1.

All thiamine-containing foods can be divided into groups:

The first group is nuts and seeds. They are rich in thiamine, as well as other vitamins that contribute to the proper functioning of the body. Most of all vitamin B1 contains: peanuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios.

The second group is cereals and grain plants. Everyone knows rice and buckwheat are an irreplaceable source of vitamins and minerals, including a source of vitamin B1. These cereals are among the most affordable, and are also used in the preparation of many delicious and healthy dishes... Thiamine is also found in rolled oats, corn, pearl barley and millet.

The third group is vegetables. Since vegetables should make up the majority of the daily diet, it is worth knowing which of them contain the most vitamin B1. Potatoes, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are the undisputed leaders in thiamine content. But it is worth remembering that vitamin B1 is afraid of prolonged heat treatment.

Thiamine is found in bell peppers and fruits. The shelf life significantly affects the content of this vitamin in foods. The longer the product is stored, the less thiamine it contains.

The destruction and poor absorption of the vitamin is strongly influenced by coffee, alcohol consumption and smoking. It is among people who smoke and consume alcohol that vitamin B1 deficiency most often occurs. Deficiency symptoms are:

  • irritability;
  • fatigue;
  • poor performance;
  • poor memory;
  • muscle weakness;
  • the onset of apathy;
  • depression;
  • headache;
  • tachycardia;
  • problems with the cardiovascular system;
  • nausea;
  • deterioration of the digestive system, etc.

The longer the vitamin B1 deficiency lasts, the more pronounced the symptoms are. The amount of vitamin B1 can be influenced by many factors, for example, when taking diuretics, vitamin B1 is simply washed out of the tissues of the body.

Vitamin B1 is used for medicinal purposes, while it is injected into the body by injection. But it is always worth remembering that the body assimilates best of all only those vitamins that it receives from plant foods. A complete diet will allow a person to stay healthy for many years.

Vitamin B1 is one of the very important microelements for human life. Considering that this microelement in the body is not able to accumulate, since it is a water-soluble vitamin, therefore, it is necessary that it be taken daily with food.

Therefore, the knowledge of vitamin b1 in which foods contain , will be useful. There are even norms for the consumption of this microelement: on average, a person needs 2 mg of the vitamin daily.

However, not everything is unambiguous here and may depend on many reasons - after all, some drinks and foods can provoke the withdrawal of this vitamin. For example, these are foods that are rich in carbohydrates.

That is, eating a lot of sweets, a person runs the risk of provoking a vitamin B1 deficiency. Consequently, you will need to consume a larger amount of the micronutrient.

People who are struggling with a disease, experiencing stressful moments and others, also need an increased amount of vitamin B1.

The importance of this trace element for humans

Vitamin B1 , which is also called thiamine, being an antioxidant, participates actively in:

- energy, carbohydrate and others exchange processes;
the work of the nervous system, affecting each of its cells, as well as all cells of the body;
- functioning gastrointestinal organs;
- functioning brain;
- normalization of mental abilities and mood;
- circulation and blood production;
- increasing efficiency;
- normalization of appetite;
processes that slow down aging and others.

Vitamin B1 is an essential element for any person.

A small intake of thiamine disrupts the synthesis of acetylcholine, which is responsible for the functions of the nervous, endocrine, vascular, digestive, and cardiac systems.

Thiamine deficiency can be determined or suspected if:
- often headache;
- observed irritability;
- more frequent tearfulness;
fatigue has become the norm;
- torments insomnia;
- developing depression;
- felt chills;
- poor coordination;
- there is a decrease in appetite;
- accompanies nausea;
- appears shortness of breath from low load;
- often tormented by diarrhea;
- there are malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract.

What foods contain vitamin B1

Foods containing vitamin B1 are divided into:

1. Vegetable.

Many vegetables contain this vitamin, which is why nutritionists around the world recommend to include vegetables and fruits in every meal every day:

- pine nuts;
- Brewer's yeast;
- legumes, namely peas, lentils, beans;
- bakery products made from coarsely ground flour or flour with bran;
- sprouted wheat grains;
- sesame seeds;
- asparagus;
- potato;
- broccoli;
- Brussels sprouts;
- carrot;
- nuts;
- greenery;
- oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, millet;
- seeds;
- dried fruits;
- corn.


Proper nutrition- the guarantee of saturation of the body with all useful substances, including vitamin B1

2. Animal origin:

- pork or beef, that is, red meat;
- offal (liver);
- a fish;
- products containing sour or fresh milk;
- eggs, but only the yolk.


Legumes, seeds, nuts contain vitamin B1

In order for the body to be saturated with a sufficient amount of nutrients, it is necessary that all foods be in its diet.: sour milk, milk, fruits, meat, vegetables, fish. Without observing this condition, it is unlikely that it will be possible to nourish the body with the necessary substances.

It is also necessary to consider that if the goal is to optimize the diet and maintain healthy way life, then you should exclude or significantly reduce the consumption sugar, coffee, tea, alcohol , as well as smoking because these foods and habits destroy vitamin B1 , as well as other vitamins.

So, what foods contain vitamin B1, it is clear, there is also no doubt that this trace element is vital, and it should be consumed with food daily. If this cannot be done for any reason, then for his replenishment, you can take vitamin and mineral complexes , but it is important to remember that only a doctor should prescribe them.


Read the most popular article in this category:

Oct-1-2016

What is vitamin B1

Vitamin B1, like other B vitamins, was discovered not so long ago - only about 100 years ago. More precisely, as a separate substance, it was discovered later, but it was the Polish researcher K. Funk who found a group of substances containing nitrogen and responsible for the normal functioning of our nervous and immune systems, energy metabolism, reproduction and growth processes.

Even before the beginning of the 20th century, a serious illness affecting the nervous system - beriberi - was widespread in some countries of Southeast Asia. The traditional diet of the inhabitants of these countries is rice, in which, if it is completely peeled from the husk, vitamin B does not remain at all - this caused the disease. So today vitamin B1 is called not only thiamine and vitamins of vitality, but also take vitamin B1.

Vitamin B1 (or thiamine) is also called an anti-neuritic vitamin by physicians, which actually characterizes its main effects on the human body. It is a colorless crystals with a yeast odor, readily soluble in water, poorly soluble in organic solvents, and completely insoluble in alcohol.

Being a water-soluble substance, vitamin B1 is not stored by the body and has no toxic properties. Therefore, its stocks must be replenished daily.

Vitamin B1 enters the body with food, and is also synthesized by the microflora of the colon. Thiamine breaks down easily when cooked.

What is vitamin B1 for?

All B vitamins work in "close collaboration" and vitamin B1 is no exception. Thiamine plays a huge role in the human body, exerting a regulatory effect on its most important functions:

  • It is necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses (due to participation in the synthesis of acetylcholine). Thus, it improves the functioning of the nervous system. Helps improve mental health. Vitamin B1 is sometimes called the vitamin of optimism.
  • Plays a particularly important role in carbohydrate metabolism and associated energy, fat, protein and water-salt metabolism.
  • Promotes the processes of hematopoiesis and improves blood circulation through the vessels.
  • Reduces the level of homocysteine, an amino acid, the high level of which is associated with the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
  • Prevents brain cells from aging, allows you to maintain a good memory until a ripe old age, optimizes cognitive activity and brain function.
  • Improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, normalizing the acidity of gastric juice, helps digestion, especially the absorption of carbohydrates, is necessary for muscle tone in the digestive tract.
  • It has analgesic properties, relieves toothache postoperative pain.
  • Thiamine in combination with other B vitamins and ascorbic acid help the body to resist infectious and viral diseases.
  • Promotes the treatment of shingles.
  • Prevents cell destruction due to age and the effects of smoking and alcohol, i.e. manifests itself as an antioxidant.
  • Thiamine, actively interacting with vitamin B12 and folic acid (vitamin B9), participates in the synthesis of methionine, an amino acid necessary for the neutralization of toxic products.
  • Reduces blood cholesterol levels.
  • Promotes wound healing by actively participating in cellular metabolism.
  • Helps with motion sickness and motion sickness.
  • Keeps away insects, especially mosquitoes.

Vitamin of optimism

Neuropathologists constantly notice that patients who come to them have almost no thiamine in their blood. Many of them have probably been lacking this exclusively for years. an important vitamin... In all, the disease began the same. First - constant excruciating fatigue, irritability, lack of appetite, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate on anything. Then worsening sleep, lethargy - and the first warning signs: itching and tingling in the legs, heart palpitations, depression.

Often, doctors cannot establish the true cause of all these ailments. The patient takes drops and tablets with a prescription from the pharmacy, which only eliminate the symptoms of the disease for a short time. In the end, the person is given good advice: "See a neurologist."

In many cases, thiamine, which the nerve cells are waiting for, can provide immediate relief. It is especially abundant in germinated grains of wheat, bran, brewer's yeast, molasses, in general in whole grains and brown rice. It is quickly absorbed in the intestines and immediately rushes to the liver with the blood stream, where, together with the trace element manganese and special proteins (proteins), it forms enzymes.

Billions of these enzymes break down carbohydrates in food into glucose around the clock. Unlike all other cells in the body, which can convert fats and proteins into energy, brain and nerve cells are very picky: they feed only on glucose, not allowing fat molecules inside themselves.

If nerve cells do not receive their daily dose of glucose, they grow, trying to increase contact with additional arterioles, the smallest blood vessels from which valuable nutrition can be obtained, due to their larger area. The same thing happens to them as to thyroid gland that grows into a goiter if it doesn't get enough iodine to produce hormones.

The bad news is that in enlarged nerve cells, glucose uptake is reduced by 60%. The protective layer of nerve cells becomes thinner, losing its natural consistency and viscosity, that is, the certain degree of fluidity that cholesterol, phosphorus-containing and protein substances contained in it should have. The result is "bare" irritated nerves. From the most harmless word, we are ready to jump to the ceiling, nothing pleases us. Getting out of bed in the morning, we often do not know how to get through this day.

Many people who are forced to see a neurologist suffer from vitamin B1 deficiency. This causes fatigue, irritability, lack of appetite and related ailments.

More benefits of thiamine

Like all plants and animals, in the process of development, a person has developed defense systems for himself against an innumerable number of pathogens, aggressive microorganisms, natural poisons, etc. These include insect repellent substances contained in the skin. How these molecules affect certain insect species is still unknown. But it is well established that thiamine is involved in their creation and that people suffering from its deficiency often become victims of blood-sucking insects.

Thiamine promotes wound healing by actively participating in cellular metabolism. In addition, it has analgesic properties.

Lack of vitamin B1

Lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine) is quite common. Indeed, as we have already said, thiamine is a water-soluble vitamin, and therefore is not able to accumulate in the body. In addition, vitamin B1 has many "enemies" that destroy it and make it useless.

Possible reasons for the development of shortages:

  • insufficient intake of thiamine into the body with food;
  • diseases of the large and small intestines;
  • abnormal activity of the thyroid gland.

Alcoholics with malaria and HIV infection are at risk.

Early manifestations of the disease include:

  • discomfort in the abdomen;
  • memory impairment;
  • sleep problems;
  • poor appetite;
  • weight reduction;
  • fatigue;
  • irritability.

It is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner if such symptoms occur. In case of untimely referral to a specialist, a severe deficiency of vitamin B1 develops. Subsequently, disturbances in the functioning of the brain, heart, and nervous system are observed.

With a long-term lack of thiamine, the risk of developing the following diseases increases:

  • Take it;
  • Wernicke's encephalopathy;
  • Heart failure;
  • Diabetes;
  • Alzheimer's Syndrome.

Vitamin B1 for face

Recently, it has become very fashionable to purchase injectable drugs at the pharmacy and use them completely for other purposes. So a number of authors folk recipes beauty and youth recommend that we add B1 in ampoules to various masks to rejuvenate the skin of the face. It is worth noting that vitamin B1 is really beneficial for the tone of collagen fibers, and its moderate consumption actually helps prevent the signs of aging, and can help in skin rejuvenation. But you should use it inside, and not make lotions with vitamins. Unfortunately, everything that we put on the skin penetrates into its thickness only a few mm, so there is no particular benefit from masks with injectable vitamins. But they can cause allergies, especially if incompatible elements are "accidentally" mixed in one composition.

Vitamin B1 for hair

The use of vitamin B1 for hair makes strands and curls thicker, stronger and shinier, accelerates their growth and reduces hair loss. Sometimes it is the lack of vitamin B1 that leads to a sharp deterioration in the condition of the hair. Their growth slows down significantly (sometimes it seems that they do not grow at all), the shine disappears, the tips become brittle and begin to split. All of these problems are difficult to fix, but possible.

Vitamin B1 (also called thiamine) is the main regulator of metabolic processes in the body. It is thanks to him that the hair follicles and scalp cells receive the necessary amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and other minerals, which have a beneficial effect on their functioning.

Fortunately, this vitamin is found in many foods and those who eat healthy food get enough of it. However, the influence of various factors can lead to poor absorption of it by the body, which in itself will lead to a deterioration in the condition of the hair.

There are two ways to replenish vitamin B1 deficiency - by taking additional vitamin complexes and regular cosmetic procedures with his participation. And it's best to do both.

However, before using vitamin B1 for hair, you need to consult a specialist. There may be other causes of your hair deterioration. If your body contains a sufficient amount of vitamin B1, then you should not drink it additionally, as its excess can cause serious health problems.

Vitamin B1 for psoriasis

Any complex of vitamins for psoriasis includes vitamins of group B, P and C, which are water-soluble. Only a doctor can decide which drugs to drink, taking into account the form and severity of the course of the disease, the degree of skin lesions and the place of localization of the process.

Vitamins of group B for each patient with a diagnosis of psoriasis are prescribed strictly individually according to a specific scheme developed by the attending physician. From this group, the following drugs are used:

Thiamine and the finished form of coenzyme cocarboxylase formed in the body from it are involved in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism and promote the reverse development of psoriatic plaques. The drug can be injected intravenously, intradermally or intramuscularly. Contraindications to the appointment of thiamine or cocarboxylase are the following conditions:

  • hypertonic disease;
  • individual intolerance;
  • a history of allergic diseases.

Vitamin B1 requirement

The daily requirement for thiamine is 1/2 mg per 1000 calories digested. In accordance with this, women need 1.0-1.1 mg per day, during pregnancy 1.5 mg, and when breastfeeding -1.6 mg. Men, depending on the amount of calories they consume, need from 1.2 to 11.5 mg of thiamine per day. For those involved in sports, the need for thiamine increases accordingly, again depending on the calories consumed.

Things to Consider

Elderly people, as well as those who are constantly under stress, drink a lot of coffee or tea, often suffer from diarrhea or fever, require significantly higher doses of thiamine. In such cases, doctors often prescribe brewer's yeast to patients, which, in addition to thiamine, contain high concentrations of B vitamins.

What foods contain vitamin B1

Particularly rich in thiamine (in milligrams per 100 grams of product):

Sunflower seeds - 1.95

Germinated wheat grains - 1.76

Pistachios - 0.74

Pork leg - 0.68

Buckwheat - 0.58

Wholemeal bread with bran - 0.54

Hazelnuts - 0.43

Brown rice - 0.40

Green peas - 0.28

Liver - 0.26

Potatoes - 0.12

The harm of vitamin B1

An excess of thiamine does not actually occur, since it is water-soluble and cannot be obtained in excess with food. Vitamin B1 is constantly excreted from the body naturally through the digestive tract or in the urine.

An excess of thiamine can occur only when administered by injection of a synthetic vitamin. In this case, allergic reactions, various spasms, a decrease in pressure and an increase in body temperature may occur. There is also an individual intolerance to preparations with vitamin B1, which manifests itself in the form of itching or urticaria.

In very rare cases, an excess of thiamine can cause kidney problems, weight loss, fatty liver, insomnia, and anxiety.

Despite the fact that our body requires rather small quantities, when they are lacking, disturbances begin in all internal processes, which leads to a variety of diseases and complications. Each of them performs a variety of functions and tasks.

Thiamine, or vitamin B1 was discovered first of all. Being water-soluble element, thiamine is not able to accumulate in the body, so it must be replenished daily with foods containing vitamin B1.

Useful and medicinal properties of vitamin B1

Vitamin B1 is also known by another name: “ vitamin of optimism (or cheerfulness)". This characteristic is absolutely deserved, because it is able to improve mood, helps to optimize brain function and performs many other important functions and tasks.

What is vitamin B1 for?:

  • positively affects the work of the most significant systems in the body;
  • takes an active part in carbohydrate, fat, energy, and water-salt metabolism;
  • contributes to the improvement of intellectual abilities, memory, supports the mental activity of a person, the work of cells of the brain and nervous system;
  • especially important for the growth and development of children;
  • also able to slow down the aging process, reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease;
  • maintains the tone of the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract and heart;
  • neutralizes the effect of toxins in the body, prevents excess fat from accumulating in the liver and helps to reduce the level of harmful cholesterol;
  • has a beneficial effect on human immune system;
  • helps to improve blood circulation and participates in its creation;
  • protects the human body from negative environmental influences.
As you can see, the role of thiamine is very important, therefore, its deficiency should not be allowed. However, this irreplaceable vitamin does not accumulate in the body Moreover, even with food it is not at all easy to get it. В1 has very fragile and easily destructible properties:
  • thiamine decomposes with prolonged heat treatment, high temperatures and in contact with metals;
  • the presence of alkali can completely destroy it (that is, salt the dishes only after cooking and do not add citric acid);
  • you will lose substance when refining grain product (instant cooking, and others);
  • B1 will not be absorbed in your body if you consume strong coffee and, tobacco or alcohol.

For the rest, thiamine is easy enough to get by making yourself a complete and balanced diet.

Where is vitamin B1 found

There are many sources of thiamine in different groups available. It is found in both plant foods and foods of animal origin.

Animal products

Despite the fact that thiamine is present in various and you will not find it in. But among the animal sources, the richest are considered: pork meat (especially fatty), as well as (kidneys, liver, heart, brain). In beef, chicken, rabbit, lamb, and much less of it.

Antibiotics, oral contraceptives, drugs containing alcohol and substances that contain sulfur are considered very harmful to him. In addition, the vitamin is poorly absorbed and quickly destroyed under the influence of alcohol, tobacco, strong tea and coffee, with excess carbohydrate nutrition.

Please share in the comments if you have ever experienced a deficiency or excess of vitamin B1. If you are facing a problem lack of thiamine, what caused this: a monotonous diet, strong physical or mental stress, bad habits, or something else? How did you solve this problem? Your experience can help other readers!

Proper nutrition is the basis of well-being, a beautiful figure and longevity. A whole institute of nutrition has been created in Russia - the Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, which is studying the properties of food, its effect on the human body, baby food, and much more.

In our time, a significant problem has appeared - all the food we eat is gradually depleted in vitamins and microelements, and its quality as a whole is deteriorating. In vegetables and fruits, nutrients are becoming less and less. The blame for everything is soil depletion, ecology, and the use of a huge amount of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides - real poisons for humans and animals.

For example, when growing potatoes, drugs are always used against the Colorado potato beetle, and the instructions for use say that the drug should not be used during the summer of bees. If a bee collects nectar from flowering potatoes, it will die. And this means that for a person the dose of the drug is not fatal, but the poison, albeit in small quantities, will certainly enter the body when eating purchased potatoes. This poison tends to accumulate in the body, which leads to many disorders. Of course, this applies not only to potatoes, but to all industrial plant foods.

Therefore, it is so important to monitor what we eat, you need to carefully consider the purchase of products, and certainly, if possible, do not save on proper and healthy food. Vitamins should always be present in food, regardless of the season. From an early age, we know that without vitamins there is no life, they are important to us as well as oxygen.

What is vitamin B1?

There are many varieties of vitamins, there are fat-soluble and water-soluble, vitamins that are synthesized already in the body, which tend to accumulate, and if they are insufficiently supplied with food, the body spends the accumulated supply. There are those that do not accumulate, and regular intake of the body with food is required. Let's talk about just such a vitamin - B1. It is not synthesized or accumulated, it must be consumed daily!

Vitamin B1 is considered the second most important after vitamin C! In fact, of course, it is impossible to divide vitamin substances into more or less significant, but because the lack of vitamin B1 is a frequent occurrence, it should deserve special attention. With such a deficit, disorders and diseases of the nervous system occur, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and much more often occur.

In the reference books there is data on the minimum daily amount of this substance (in other words, it is also called thiamine), necessary to maintain health. For 100 kcal. the food consumed should account for about 15-20 IU of this vitamin. This is approximately 2 mg. But it is worth noting that with the predominance of food rich in carbohydrates in the human diet, the need for vitamin B1 also increases. It turns out that if a person eats a lot of sweets, then there is a greater risk of vitamin deficiency.

The right food, or what foods contain vitamin B1?

Each hostess, or host, cook, or cook needs to take care not only of the taste of the dishes, but also of their benefits. It is imperative to think over the menu! Unfortunately, few of us ask the question - are we getting enough vitamins and minerals? The question seems a little "meticulous", but when a whole "bunch of sores" appears, for some reason everyone is surprised.

Products that should be regularly on the table are grain bread, bran, nuts, vegetables, wild and garden berries, all kinds of greens, quality meat, eggs. Let's take a look at each thiamine-rich food separately, starting with the foods that contain the most thiamine:

  1. Pine nuts- this is the leader in thiamine content - as much as 33.82 mg. 100 grams! The nut includes almost all essential amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, a set of vitamins: A, B, C, D, E, P. But it has a high value for a large number of the content of vitamins B1 and E. If there are pine nuts in the diet, you can be calm about the abundance of thiamine. This nut is especially important for vegetarians, as it contains a lot of protein, which vegetables and fruits are poor in. And the best part is that everything useful material pine nuts are absorbed almost 100%!
  2. Pork- contains 0.6 mg. per 100 gr. It is advisable to use it not often, and to combine it with vegetable salads for better assimilation.
  3. Hercules, or oatmeal- 0.5 mg. Oatmeal is renowned for its nutritional and health benefits. It contains substances such as antioxidants that allow the body to age and wear out more slowly. Also, oatmeal is good for bones due to its high calcium content.
  4. Millet, or "golden groats"- these are millet seeds, contains 0.4 mg. vitamin B1. Millet is a particularly useful cereal for people suffering from allergies of various etiologies, because it contains a minimum of allergens and many useful substances. Millet is well absorbed by the body and helps the digestive system work. Groats contain a lot of starch, protein and essential amino acids, a lot of fat (2.6-3.7%), fiber (0.5-08%) and a significant amount of vitamins B1, B2, PP, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.
  5. Corn- this cereal contains a whole storehouse of nutrients. Vitamin B1 in it is 0.38 mg. As a result of research, scientists have concluded that corn protects the body from stroke, diabetes, heart disease, because the body absorbs all the nutrients from corn, activating all metabolic processes. With proper metabolism, human health is noticeably stronger.
  6. Liver- 0.3 mg of vitamin B1. The special value of the liver is that it contains proteins - iron proteins, which are responsible for the formation of hemoglobin in the blood. If the liver is properly prepared, the dish will contain a full daily intake of essential vitamins and minerals. The liver helps to reduce blood clotting, which prevents the development of blood clots in the blood vessels.
  7. Buckwheat- 0.3 mg of thiamine. Buckwheat is the most valuable cereal, it contains a whole set of vitamins and microelements. It is an amazing fact that buckwheat is an environmentally friendly product, since it is not subjected to chemical treatment, it grows on any soil, it is not treated with fertilizers. Buckwheat does not overgrow with weeds, so the use of pesticides is not required.
  8. If all of the above products, or at least some of them, are on your table, then the body will be fully supplied with vitamin B1. The main thing is to observe two basic rules of cooking: 1. Do not oversalt food, since thiamine is destroyed by salt. 2. Do not digest food, i.e. monitor the cooking time so that the valuable vitamin substance does not have time to "digest". And remember - we are the essence of what we eat!