No Bite to the Theory: The Case Against Thiamine as a Mosquito Repellent

No Bite to the Theory: The Case Against Thiamine as a Mosquito Repellent

A warm summer night, the hum of mosquitoes filling the air, and you, slathering on DEET, waving your arms like a windmill, and—if internet lore is to be believed—chugging vitamin B1 in the hopes of making yourself invisible to these airborne vampires. Proponents claim that taking high doses of the vitamin makes humans unappetizing to mosquitoes. But here’s the catch: despite anecdotal evidence, historical speculation, and a few flawed studies, a…