A 41-year-old member asked:
can vitamin b1 be used as an insect repellant?
2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in

Dr. Martin Rossmananswered
Holistic Medicine 52 years experience
Yes, sometimes: 50 mg of b1 a day can help reduce your attractiveness to fleas and mosquitoes. Studies are weak but i've seen it work for some people and it's quite safe.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Kevin Considine commented
Family Medicine 30 years experience
Yes but DEET still more effective
Jul 29, 2012

Dr. Jeffrey Roschanswered
Allergy and Immunology 49 years experience
Natural bug repeller: Vitamin b1, thiamine, has been reported to change the body odor making humans less appealing to insects. The minimal data is old and not well controlled, so i can not vouch for it's truth.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
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Last updated Dec 8, 2015
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