There have been reports that a regular intake of vitamin B1 supplement may help ward of mosquitoes not to mention a whole host of other benefits to your health. Vitamin B1 is part of the vitamin B complex and is also known as thiamin. Thiamin can be naturally found in foods such as sunflower seeds, peas, beans and lentils, whole grains, leafy green vegetables, organ meats, oranges, eggs, and yeast. However, if you want to increase your intake of vitamin B1 by eating foods high in the vitamin, you have to keep in mind that vitamin B1 is water soluble. What this means is that it is easily flushed from the body and requires a regular top up in the form of eating more foods high in B1 on a daily basis or by supplementing your intake with vitamin B1 supplement pills.
Though there has been no scientific proof that thiamin can actually repel bugs such as mosquitoes, it may be possible that the supplement causes subtle changes in the odor of the skin, which is unnoticeable to humans but works in repelling bugs. In order for this kind of change to occur, you must take a vitamin B1 supplement of 25 to 50mg at least three times a day for a minimum of two weeks before any effects are visible. While most vitamin supplements have no adverse effects when taken as per the recommended dosages, too much vitamin B1 may react adversely with certain medications such as diuretics, some antidepressants and tetracycline. Always check with your doctor before adding any vitamin or nutritional supplements to your daily routine.
Apart from vitamin B1 supplements, other natural ways to ward of bugs such as mosquitoes is the use of eucalyptus or citronella essential oils in the form of candles, creams, and sprays. Other essential oils that are known to repel bugs include peppermint, lavender, clove and aloe vera. If bugs in your backyard are a problem, planting fragrant herbs such as catmint, basil, garlic and rosemary may help create a natural barrier against bugs. It is also believed that eating garlic or taking a garlic supplement may work in the same way as vitamin B1 and alter the odor of the skin to repel mosquitoes. However, in many instances the odor created may also keep away friends and loved ones, so maybe garlic is not such as great idea after all.
answered by G R