In fact, beriberi is a rare but easily treatable disease caused by lack of Vitamin B1 (thiamine), which is abundant in unpolished rice.

CNN: ASIANOW - Asiaweek

Ms. Warner recounts what life was like in poor areas before the introduction of vitamins into food substances, the fortification of white flour and milk, and the widespread availability of items like orange juice: Many people suffered from rickets (because of insufficient vitamin D and calcium), scurvy (vitamin C), pellagra (vitamin B3) and beriberi (vitamin B1).

WSJ: Book Review: Salt Sugar Fat | Pandora's Lunchbox

"Blue" is the most requested vitamin pack among these men: a concoction of B1 and vitamin E that claims to offer relief from exhaustion.

CNN: Vitamin cafes: Japan's latest health injection