Beriberi is associated with deficiency of which vitamin?

• A. A
• B. C
• C. niacin
• D. thiamine

Answer: (D)

Beriberi is due to a deficiency of thiamine, vitamin B1. Thiamine (as thiamine pyrophosphate) is a crucial cofactor for enzymes that metabolize carbohydrates into energy, including pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. When thiamine is lacking, cells can’t efficiently generate ATP from glucose, especially in energy-demanding tissues like the heart and peripheral nerves, leading to the characteristic forms: wet beriberi with edema and heart failure, and dry beriberi with neuropathy and muscle wasting. Historically this deficiency occurred with diets based on polished white rice or in situations of malnutrition or alcohol abuse, and it can be rapidly improved with thiamine supplementation. For context, other vitamin deficiencies cause different diseases—lack of vitamin A affects vision, lack of niacin causes pellagra, and lack of vitamin C causes scurvy.