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How does a thiamine deficiency change an animal’s food choices?

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Two wild horses graze on tall grass in the open prairie of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, with rolling badlands visible in the background. — Feeding behaviour Wild horses graze in the Badlands of North Dakota.

When an animal experiences a thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, its food choices are altered through a learning process rather than an innate, genetically determined taste preference.1

In this state, the animal will sample various available foods and eventually concentrate its intake on those that successfully alleviate the deficiency. This behavior is a form of "specific hunger," where the deficiency triggers an increased responsiveness to foods containing the necessary nutrient.1

It is important to note that while this learning mechanism helps correct the imbalance, prolonged thiamine deficiency can lead to severe health consequences, such as beriberi, which is characterized by symptoms including loss of appetite, muscle weakness, and neurological impairment.2