Thiamine (vitamin B1) in diabetic complications

Posted by Chantel M. Contributed by US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

In a study of "The potential role of thiamine (vitamin B1) in diabetic complications" by Thornalley PJ., posted in US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, researcher concluded that dysfunction of beta-cells and impaired glucose tolerance in thiamine deficiency and suggestion of a link of impaired glucose tolerance with dietary thiamine indicates that thiamine therapy may have a future role in prevention of type 2 diabetes. More immediately, given the emerging multiple benefits of thiamine repletion, even mild thiamine deficiency in diabetes should be avoided and thiamine supplementation to high dose should be considered as adjunct nutritional therapy to prevent dyslipidemia and the development of vascular complications in clinical diabetes.