Isifo samatilosi ayedla ukudla okusemathinini kuphela ngesikhathi ewela olwandle, isifo i-Beriberi sixhunyaniswa nokuntuleka kwamavithamini B1. Kubaluleke kakhulu emzimbeni, lokhu kusilela kuwumsuka wokuphazamiseka kwemizwa nenhliziyo, kwesinye isikhathi akuhlehliseki. Ukwengezwa kwayo kusenesikhathi ngokudla nokwelashwa kuvumela ukuba zelashwe. 

Isifo sokuntula eyaziwa kusukela eMpumalanga kusukela ngekhulu leshumi nesikhombisa ezifundweni zase-Asia ezazidla irayisi elimhlophe kuphela, kwabonakala nakwamatilosi ayedla ukudla okusemathinini kuphela phakathi nohambo lwabo olude olwandle ngaphambi kokuqonda ukuthi ukuvimbela kwabo kwadlula ukudla okucebile ngamavithamini, ikakhulukazi i-vitamin B1. Ngakho-ke igama elithi Beriberi likavithamini B. 

Umzimba womuntu empeleni awukwazi ukuhlanganisa le vithamini futhi udinga iminikelo eyanele yokudla okunomsoco ukuze umzimba usebenze ngendlela elinganiselayo nephumelelayo.

Le vithamini ikhona emikhiqizweni eminingi yokudla okujwayelekile njengokusanhlamvu, inyama, amantongomane, okusanhlamvu noma amazambane.

Ukushoda kwayo kusawakhathaza nanamuhla ikakhulukazi amazwe asathuthuka ahlushwa ukungondleki futhi athanda ukudla okusekelwe kuma-carbohydrate acolisisiwe (irayisi elimhlophe, ushukela omhlophe, isitashi esimhlophe…). 

Kodwa kungenzeka futhi ekudleni okungenakulinganisela okufana nokudla kwe-vegan, noma ezimeni ze-anorexia nervosa kubantu abadala. Izifo ezithile zingase futhi zibe yimbangela yokuntuleka kwevithamini B1 njenge-hyperthyroidism, ukumuncwa kwamathumbu isikhathi eside njengesikhathi sohudo olungapheli noma ukwehluleka kwesibindi. Itholakala kuphela ezigulini ezinenkinga yokuluthwa utshwala kanye ne-cirrhosis yesibindi.

Ukushoda kukavithamini B1 kuholela ekuwohlokeni kwemizwa yangaphandle (i-neuropathy), yezindawo ezithile zobuchopho (thalamus, cerebellum, njll.) futhi kunciphisa ukujikeleza kobuchopho ngokukhula kokumelana kwemithambo yegazi yobuchopho ekujikelezeni kwegazi. Iphinde ithinte inhliziyo, enwebeka futhi ingenzi kahle umsebenzi wayo wepompo ukuvumela ukujikeleza kwegazi emzimbeni (ukwehluleka kwenhliziyo). 

Ekugcineni, lokhu kuntuleka kungabangela ukunwetshwa kwemikhumbi (vasodilation) okubangela i-edema (ukuvuvukala) kwezinyawo nemilenze.

Uma ukuntula kunesizotha, kuphela izimpawu ezimbalwa ezingaqondile ezingase zenzeke njengokukhathala (i-asthenia emnene), ukucasuka, ukukhubazeka kwenkumbulo nokulala.

Kodwa lapho kushiwo kakhulu, izimpawu eziningana ziba khona ngesimo samatafula amabili:

Efomini elomile nge 

• i-symmetrical peripheral neuropathies (i-polyneuritis) ezinhlangothini zombili zezitho ezingezansi, ngokuzwa ukugubha, ukushisa, ukugubha, ubuhlungu emilenzeni;
• ukunciphisa ukuzwela kwemilenze engezansi (hypoaesthesia) ikakhulukazi ekudlidlizeni, umuzwa wokuba ndikindiki;
• ukunciphisa kwe-muscle mass (atrophy) namandla emisipha okubangela ubunzima ekuhambeni;
• ukunciphisa noma ngisho nokuqedwa kwe-tendon reflexes (i-Achilles tendon, i-patellar tendon, njll.);
• ubunzima bokukhuphuka ukusuka endaweni yokugwaza ukuya endaweni yokuma;
• izimpawu zemizwa nokukhubazeka kokunyakaza kwamehlo (i-Wernicke's syndrome), ukuhamba kanzima, ukudideka kwengqondo, ubunzima bokuthatha izinyathelo (abulia), i-amnesia ngokuqashelwa okungamanga (i-Korsakoff syndrome).

Ngesimo esimanzi

• ukulimala kwenhliziyo ngokuhluleka kwenhliziyo, ukwanda kwenhliziyo (i-tachycardia), ubukhulu benhliziyo (i-cardiomegaly);
• ukwanda kwengcindezi ye-jugular vein (entanyeni);
• ukuphelelwa umoya ngokuzikhandla (dyspnea);
• i-edema yemilenze engezansi (izinyawo, iqakala, ithole).

Kukhona futhi izimpawu zokugaya ukudla kulezi zinhlobo ezinzima ngobuhlungu besisu, isicanucanu, ukuhlanza. 

Okokugcina, ezinsaneni, ingane iyancipha isisindo, iyasho noma iphelelwe amazwi (ayisakhali noma ibubule kancane), iphathwa isifo sohudo nokuhlanza futhi iba nobunzima bokuphefumula.

Ukuhlolwa okwengeziwe kuyenziwa uma i-Beriberi isolakala ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuxilongwa futhi kuthathwe isilinganiso sokuntuleka (i-thiamine mono ne-diphosphate). I-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) yobuchopho ingase futhi inqunywe ukuze ubone ngeso lengqondo izinto ezingavamile ezihlobene nokuntuleka kwe-Vit B1 (izilonda zamazwe amabili we-thalamus, i-cerebellum, i-cerebral cortex, njll.).

Ukwelashwa kwesifo i-Beriberi ukwengezwa kwevithamini B1 kusenesikhathi ukuvimbela ukulandelana okungahle kwenzeke. I-Drug prophylaxis ingasetshenziswa nasezifundweni ezisengozini (izifundo ezihlushwa uphuzo oludakayo olungapheli kanye ne-cirrhosis, iziguli ezingondlekile eziphethwe ingculazi, ukungondleki, njll.)

Okokugcina, ukuvimbela nsuku zonke kuhlanganisa ukucebisa ukudla okuhlukahlukene okunemifino (uphizi, ubhontshisi, uphizi, njll.), okusanhlamvu (irayisi, isinkwa nokolweni, njll.), imvubelo ecebile ku-Vit B1 kanye nembewu (ama-walnuts, ama-hazelnuts, ama-glitches. …). Kufanele ugweme irayisi elimhlophe nanoma yini ehlanjululwe kakhulu njengoshukela omhlophe futhi uqinisekise ukulungiswa ekhishini okungabhubhisi amavithamini amaningi ngokujwayelekile.