beriberi

Everyday

An illness caused by not having enough vitamin B1 (thiamine) in food; it can weaken the muscles, nerves and heart. tree →

In the lessons

In science and health lessons about a balanced diet, beriberi is an example of a deficiency disease, like scurvy (from too little vitamin C). It was common long ago where people ate mostly white polished rice, and was cured by eating brown rice, beans, meat and whole grains. History of science: it helped scientists discover vitamins.

Examples

• Beriberi is caused by too little vitamin B1. tree →
• Sailors who ate only white rice sometimes got beriberi. tree →
• Eating whole grains helps prevent beriberi. tree →
• Our science sheet listed scurvy, rickets and beriberi. tree →
• A doctor found that brown rice cured beriberi in chickens. tree →
• Beriberi is rare today in countries with varied food. tree →

Note

Uncountable: «beriberi», not «a beriberi». Said «berry-berry». It is not catching: you cannot get it from another person. The name comes from a Sinhala word meaning «weak, weak».