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In a message dated 16/03/2010 18:31:52 GMT Standard Time, kirsty.allen@... writes:

Does anyone know if you take this supplement instead if TTFD?If you do, do you take am or pm ?

>>We do, in the AM coz my memory is better than at night but you could give it anytime with anything

Mandi x

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Thanks mandi. I gave it to sam last night!!KirstyXSent from my iPhoneOn 18 Mar 2010, at 13:04, Mum231ASD@... wrote:

In a message dated 16/03/2010 18:31:52 GMT Standard Time, kirsty.allenymail writes:

Does anyone know if you take this supplement instead if TTFD?If you do, do you take am or pm ?

>>We do, in the AM coz my memory is better than at night but you could give it anytime with anything

Mandi x

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  • 4 months later...

This is particularly good for diabetes 11 as well as longevity. I find

that it is often the case that what is helpful for various

illnesses/conditions , also increases longevity and good health - or are

" anti-AGE "

blessings

Shan

Benfotiamine

_http://www.naturodoc.com/library/treatments/bloodsugar.htm_

(http://www.naturodoc.com/library/treatments/bloodsugar.htm)

European Supplement Protects

Against Diabetic Complications

By Dale Kiefer

When treating diabetes, today's doctors focus on establishing blood

glucose control, but often overlook the need to protect against common diabetic

complications such as blindness, stroke, endothelial dysfunction, and loss

of limb.1

Fortunately, benfotiamine, a little-known fat-soluble form of vitamin B1,

has been shown to help prevent the development and progression of many

diabetic complications. As a result, benfotiamine has become a critical

nutrient for those seeking to ward off the potentially lethal impact of

sustained

high blood sugar levels.

Used for decades in Europe as a prescription medication, benfotiamine

ameliorates the progression of diabetic nerve, kidney, and retinal damage, and

relieves the painful symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.2-8 Diabetic

neuropathy makes it difficult for nerves to carry messages to the brain and

also

impairs the function of the microvasculature (tiny blood vessels) in the

extremities. The result of this pathological blood-vessel damage is numbness

and painful tingling in the feet (and hands) that can eventually result in

amputation of the lower extremities.

Benfotiamine acts through a novel mechanism, blocking the biochemical

pathways by which high blood sugar damages cells throughout the body.8 Now

available as a low-cost dietary supplement, benfotiamine can help diabetes

sufferers protect their nerves, kidneys, eyes, blood vessels, and heart.

Benfotiamine’s multifaceted effects in preventing dangerous diabetic

complications make it an essential supplement for people with elevated blood

sugar

levels.

Benfotiamine Differs from Conventional Diabetes Drugs

Diabetes drugs are among the most widely prescribed pharmaceuticals on the

market today. Current medications for type II diabetes seek to reduce the

dangerous buildup of excess sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream by either

increasing insulin production or enhancing its effectiveness.

Benfotiamine is one of the most effective yet overlooked treatments for

preventing the debilitating complications of diabetes. Benfotiamine is a

chemical sibling of the essential nutrient thiamine (vitamin B1). Thiamine

helps to convert fats and carbohydrates into glucose, a form of fuel for the

body. As such, thiamine is essential for the proper regulation of glucose

metabolism.9

However, while thiamine is soluble only in water, benfotiamine is fat

soluble, a characteristic that allows it to enter cells far more readily than

thiamine and thus help to prevent diabetes-related dysfunction within the

cells. This enhanced bioavailability makes benfotiamine particularly

effective in treating hyperglycemia-related damage to tissues and organs.10-12

Benfotiamine's Biochemical Response to High Blood Sugar

Diabetes treatments that seek to increase insulin output or improve the

cells' response to insulin do not provide adequate protection against the

many complications of the disease. While diabetes medications help tackle the

problem of inordinately high levels of plasma glucose, only benfotiamine

reduces elevated levels of intracellular glucose and alters the body’s

biochemical response to the toxic breakdown products of excess sugar.

Benfotiamine stimulates the production of transketolase, a naturally beneficial

enzyme that efficiently converts these potentially toxic glucose breakdown

products into harmless compounds that can be safely eliminated by the body.

Numerous studies have shown that benfotiamine inhibits three major

pathways that lead to the formation of toxic substances such as advanced

glycation

end products (AGEs).5,8,13

AGEs have been implicated in the development and progression of numerous

disorders in diabetics. These include:

-- Cardiovascular disease14

-- Diabetic neuropathy (nerve disorders)15,16

-- Retinopathy (affecting vision)15,16

-- Peripheral vascular disease (affecting blood vessels of the

extremities)15,16

-- Nephropathy (kidney disease).15,16

Interestingly, AGE-associated damage to the cardiovascular system is also

seen in aging adults without diabetes. In fact, aging itself is considered

a major risk factor for the development of cardiac dysfunction, due to the

accumulation of AGEs over time, even in non-diabetics. AGEs are believed

to act through several mechanisms to promote vascular damage, scar tissue

formation, and inflammation.14 Unfortunately, this process is simply

accelerated in diabetics,17 which suggests that even non-diabetics can benefit

from benfotiamine’s ability to inhibit AGE formation.

Years of use as a prescription drug in Europe have shown that benfotiamine

is safe and well tolerated.3,6,7,18,19 Now that it is available in the

United States as a low-cost dietary supplement, researchers are turning their

attention to benfotiamine and uncovering evidence that it helps to offset

the dangers of numerous complications of diabetes and high blood sugar.

Benfotiamine Protects Delicate Nerve and Brain Tissue

The nervous system can suffer in numerous ways from the damaging effects

of high blood sugar. Comprising brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves,

the nervous system controls the functions of muscles and organs,

coordinates thoughts and actions, and conveys sensory information.

Neuropathy, or nerve disease, is one of the most prevalent and painful

complications of diabetes. Characteristics of diabetic neuropathy include:

-- Damage to the peripheral nerves of the extremities

-- Pain that may be unresponsive to conventional pain relievers

-- Numbness and altered sensation affecting the limbs

-- Nerves of the extremities may malfunction simultaneously, causing

polyneuropathy.

Clinical trials demonstrate that benfotiamine effectively relieves

diabetic polyneuropathy. A recent random, double-blind study in Germany found

that diabetes patients with polyneuropathy who supplemented with 100 mg of

benfotiamine four times daily for three weeks demonstrated statistically

significant improvement in nerve function scores. A decrease in pain was the

most pronounced effect noted. The study authors said their findings support

the results of two earlier randomized, controlled trials, which also found

evidence of benfotiamine’s beneficial effects in patients with diabetic

neuropathy.3 Diabetes has been associated with increased oxidative stress, a

contributor to many age-related disease processes. Delicate brain tissue

is especially susceptible to the damaging effects of oxidative stress. As a

result, diabetes is increasingly associated with cognitive decline,

including dementia and Alzheimer’s. (See " The Deadly Connection Between

Diabetes

and Alzheimer’s, " Life Extension, December 2006.)

A newly released study indicates that benfotiamine may protect the brain

against oxidative stress associated with diabetes. Investigators

experimentally induced diabetes in a group of test subjects. Following two

weeks of

induced high blood sugar levels, the subjects received two weeks of

benfotiamine supplementation. Benfotiamine alleviated the oxidative stress in

the brain that typically occurs with diabetes, leading the research team to

conclude that benfotiamine may avert diabetes-induced cerebral oxidative

stress through a novel mechanism.20

This important finding means that benfotiamine offers critical protection

for the delicate nervous system by shielding the peripheral nerves and

brain from damage caused by diabetes.

Benfotiamine: What You Need to Know

-- Currently, there is no drug available to diminish the toxic effects of

the breakdown products of excess glucose.

-- Long used as a prescription drug for diabetes in Europe, benfotiamine

is now readily available as a dietary supplement in the US. A fat-soluble

derivative of vitamin B1, benfotiamine works by a novel mechanism to prevent

the development and progression of diabetic complications.

-- Benfotiamine helps relieve polyneuropathy, pain, and dysfunction

affecting multiple nerves in the extremities, while also protecting against

tissue-damaging oxidative stress in the brain.

-- Benfotiamine preserves healthy endothelial function, which is

associated with optimal cardiovascular health and protection against diabetic

peripheral vascular disease. Benfotiamine also supports the function of muscle

cells in the heart.

-- Benfotiamine protects the kidneys against oxidative stress and loss of

filtering capability, thus helping to prevent diabetic kidney disease.

-- Benfotiamine helps prevent or delay the development of diabetic

retinopathy, a cause of vision loss.

Benfotiamine Optimizes Endothelial and Vascular Function

In clinical studies from around the world, benfotiamine has repeatedly

demonstrated remarkable effects in normalizing endothelial function.

Endothelial cells line the interior of blood vessels. These specialized

cells are commonly damaged by high blood sugar and diabetes. When blood

vessels are unable to relax and dilate in response to increased blood flow

demands, the result is the dangerous condition known as endothelial

dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction is believed to contribute to the

initiation of

atherosclerosis and to underlie much of the damage associated with the

complications of diabetes, particularly peripheral vascular disease.

Peripheral vascular disease occurs when blood flow through arteries in the

arms and legs is impaired. Dangers of peripheral vascular disease include:

-- Impaired blood flow to the extremities that can cause cramping pain

with walking (intermittent claudication)

-- Cuts or abrasions on the feet that fail to heal

-- Ulcers and gangrene of the feet and legs that can necessitate

amputation.21

German scientists recently investigated benfotiamine’s effectiveness in

supporting healthy endothelial function and peripheral blood flow. In the

study, diabetic patients consumed a meal containing large amounts of advanced

glycation end products (AGEs) derived from foods cooked at high

temperatures. AGEs are known to contribute to endothelial dysfunction. The

subjects

ate the AGE-rich meal both before and after three days of treatment with

benfotiamine. Indicators of endothelial function, oxidative stress, and

AGEs were measured after an overnight fast on the test days, and at two, four,

and six hours after the test meals.22

The AGE-rich meal alone produced several harmful changes, including:

-- Significantly decreased blood flow to the extremities;

-- Increased blood markers of endothelial dysfunction;

-- Elevation in oxidative stress; and

-- Higher levels of AGEs.22

The detrimental changes caused by the AGE-rich meal alone were completely

prevented by supplementation with benfotiamine. Benfotiamine promoted

numerous improvements, including:

-- Enhanced blood flow in the extremities;

-- Improved endothelial function;

-- Diminished oxidative stress; and

-- Normalization of AGE levels.22

This important German study demonstrates that AGEs directly contribute to

vastly diminished vascular function in diabetics, and that the use of

benfotiamine prevents AGE-induced endothelial dysfunction, impaired blood flow,

and increased oxidative stress.22

Two recent studies from Italy validate benfotiamine's ability to support

healthy endothelial function, even in the presence of high blood glucose

levels. Independent Italian research teams showed that, in addition to

preserving mature endothelial cells lining blood vessels, benfotiamine also

protects endothelial progenitor cells, or cells that develop into endothelial

cells. These progenitor cells are crucial to the repair and maintenance of

healthy endothelial tissue.23,24 While hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar,

interferes with the normal development of progenitor cells, the Italian

scientists noted that normal development of these cells can be restored by the

administration of benfotiamine.23 Similarly, benfotiamine inhibited human

epithelial progenitor cell death, which is caused by high glucose levels.24

Benfotiamine’s ability to support the health of endothelial cells may have

important implications in helping people to avoid peripheral vascular

disease. Scientists now believe that the endothelial dysfunction that occurs

with diabetes can easily lead to diabetic peripheral vascular disease.16

Japanese researchers found that peripheral arterial disease affecting the

legs' blood vessels commonly occurs together with endothelial dysfunction.

As a result, the legs do not receive the critical supply of blood and

oxygen they need to stay healthy and functional.25 Moreover, diabetic patients

with peripheral arterial disease have fewer circulating endothelial

progenitor cells, which are necessary to keep blood vessels functioning

optimally

so they can deliver blood to the limbs.26

In a model of peripheral vascular disease, benfotiamine improved

endothelial function, which restored circulation to the legs and increased

blood and

oxygen supply to the tissues. This is especially important in keeping the

limbs healthy and avoiding amputation, an all-too-common consequence of

vascular dysfunciton. Additionally, benfotiamine reduced the

diabetes-induced deficit in endothelial progenitor cells, which led to improved

healing

responses in the legs of diabetic subjects.24

Diabetes Unleashes a Cascade of Debilitating Health Complications

Diabetes is one of today’s most challenging health afflictions, owing to

its explosive growth, devastating effects on the body, and the difficulty of

effectively treating the disease and its complications.

In a healthy person, food is converted into glucose, which is subsequently

absorbed into the bloodstream. In response to this increase in plasma

glucose, the pancreas secretes the hormone insulin, which shepherds glucose

molecules into the body’s cells, where they are stored or burned for energy.

In pre-diabetic and diabetic individuals, however, the cells resist

insulin and the entry of glucose into the cells. When this happens,

specialized

cells in the pancreas known as islet cells respond by pumping out more

insulin. Over time, the islet cells burn out altogether. The result is

hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, rendering the patient utterly dependent on

a

constant supply of pharmaceutical insulin.

Despite these challenges, most cells maintain relatively normal

concentrations of internal glucose. However, certain cells—most notably

endothelial

cells, which line the interior of arteries and capillaries—are less capable

of self-regulation. They tend to accumulate high levels of internal

glucose, which they cannot metabolize efficiently. This causes intermediate

glucose breakdown products to pile up, activating metabolic pathways that are

implicated in the onset of diabetic complications.

Especially in the small blood vessels that feed the eyes, kidneys, and

extremities, the toxic intermediates of glucose breakdown leave a wake of

damage. For example, in the retina, this dysfunctional glucose metabolism may

lead to blindness. In the kidneys, it may cause irreversible tissue

damage, eventually leading to kidney failure. And in the extremities, it may

cause vascular disease and nerve pain, possibly requiring amputation.8,10

Benfotiamine Reduces Heart Disease Risk

Individuals with diabetes suffer from a greatly increased risk of heart

disease. Benfotiamine may play an important role in strategies to protect

heart health in people with high blood sugar.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Wyoming

gauged benfotiamine's ability to prevent heart disease in an experimental model

of human type II diabetes. One group was rendered diabetic, while a second

control group remained normal. Both groups received benfotiamine therapy

for two weeks. Scientists then examined heart cells from both groups,

assessing their ability to contract and various biochemical parameters.27

As expected, diabetes was associated with increased oxidative stress,

which interfered with the healthy function of heart muscle. Benfotiamine

treatment alleviated many of the heart cell changes caused by diabetes,

decreasing oxidative stress and restoring heart cell function. The researchers

concluded that benfotiamine may guard heart muscle cells against the

dysfunction associated with diabetes.27

Supplementing with benfotiamine may thus be crucial in protecting the

heart against the adverse effects of diabetes.

Benfotiamine Promotes Kidney Health

Kidney disease, or nephropathy, is one of the most dreaded complications

of diabetes. When kidney function deteriorates in people with diabetes, the

kidneys may no longer be able to perform their crucial task of filtering

urine. As a result, diabetics with advanced nephropathy must resort to

kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant. Kidney disease also increases the risk

of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality.

In a 24-week study, scientists examined the effects of benfotiamine and

thiamine on subjects with diabetes. Both forms of vitamin B1 produced

beneficial changes in markers of kidney function and health, including:

-- A 70-80 percent inhibition in the development of microalbuminuria,

protein in the urine that serves as an early sign of kidney dysfunction.

-- A normalization of enzyme activity associated with protection against

kidney disease.

-- A 50 percent reduction of AGE levels in the kidneys.

-- A reduction in oxidative stress associated with diabetes (produced by

benfotiamine but not by thiamine).5,10

The scientists noted that while both benfotiamine and thiamine helped

prevent the kidney complications associated with diabetes, benfotiamine appears

to be a superior choice due to its greater bioavailability in the

body.5,10 This research indicates benfotiamine and thiamine may help people

with

diabetes safeguard the health of their kidneys and protect against the

devastating consequences of nephropathy.

Damaging Consequences of Vitamin B1 Deficiency

Intake of simple carbohydrates, which the body processes mainly into

glucose, automatically increases the need for dietary thiamine. As a result,

people often suffer vitamin B1 deficiency when they routinely consume a

high-calorie, high-carbohydrate diet with inadequate nutritional value.28

Alcoholism may also lead to vitamin B1 deficiency, resulting in a condition

known as Wernicke’s encephalopathy.10

Other conditions that may be associated with thiamine deficiency are

gastrectomy (surgical removal of all or part of the stomach) and bariatric

surgery (used to treat obesity), which both contribute to difficulties with

nutrient absorption.10

Benfotiamine Helps to Avert Vision Loss

While diabetes threatens whole-body health, the eyes are particularly

vulnerable to damage. Damage to small blood vessels caused by diabetes can

result in retinopathy (a disease of the eye's retina, which collects visual

information) and even blindness.

Scientists in Germany discovered that administration of benfotiamine

helped to prevent retinopathy in test subjects with diabetes. Study subjects

who received benfotiamine for 36 weeks demonstrated completely normalized

levels of damaging AGEs in the retina, leading the research team to conclude

that benfotiamine may help prevent or delay the onset and progression of

diabetic retinopathy.8

Benfotiamine appears to provide essential protection to the eyes, helping

prevent vision-robbing diabetic retinopathy.

Conclusion

For decades, benfotiamine has been safely used as a prescription drug in

Europe, where this natural vitamin B1 derivative has demonstrated efficacy

in preventing many serious complications of prolonged hyperglycemia.

Consumers in America can now readily access benfotiamine as a low-cost

dietary supplement. Laboratory investigations and controlled studies have

confirmed that benfotiamine alleviates and may even reverse diabetic

neuropathy, kidney disease, cardiac impairment, endothelial dysfunction,

peripheral

vascular disease, and diabetic retinopathy. With its proven ability to

confer broad-spectrum support for the blood vessels, nerves, kidneys, eyes,

and heart, benfotiamine should be considered a first-line defense against the

debilitating consequences of diabetes and high blood sugar.

References

1. Diglas J, Willinger C, Neu U, Irsigler K. Morbidity and mortality in

type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus after the diagnosis of diabetic

retinopathy. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 1992 Nov 6;117(45):1703-8.

2. Stracke H, Hammes HP, Werkmann D, et al. Efficacy of benfotiamine

versus thiamine on function and glycation products of peripheral nerves in

diabetic rats. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2001;109(6):330-6.

3. Haupt E, Ledermann H, Kopcke W. Benfotiamine in the treatment of

diabetic polyneuropathy—a three-week randomized, controlled pilot study

(BEDIP

study). Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2005 Feb;43(2):71-7.

4. - GM, Caram-Salas NL, Rocha- HI, et al.

Benfotiamine relieves inflammatory and neuropathic pain in rats. Eur J

Pharmacol.

2006 Jan 13;530(1-2):48-53.

5. Babaei-Jadidi R, Karachalias N, Ahmed N, Battah S, Thornalley PJ.

Prevention of incipient diabetic nephropathy by high-dose thiamine and

benfotiamine. Diabetes. 2003 Aug;52(8):2110-20.

6. Woelk H, Lehrl S, Bitsch R, Kopcke W. Benfotiamine in treatment of

alcoholic polyneuropathy: an 8-week randomized controlled study (BAP I Study).

Alcohol Alcohol. 1998 Nov;33(6):631-8.

7. Winkler G, Pal B, Nagybeganyi E, et al. Effectiveness of different

benfotiamine dosage regimens in the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy.

Arzneimittelforschung. 1999 Mar;49(3):220-4.

8. Hammes HP, Du X, Edelstein D, et al. Benfotiamine blocks three major

pathways of hyperglycemic damage and prevents experimental diabetic

retinopathy. Nat Med. 2003 Mar;9(3):294-9.

9. Arora S, Lidor A, Abularrage CJ, et al. Thiamine (vitamin B(1))

improves endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in the presence of hyperglycemia.

Ann Vasc Surg. 2006 May 31.

10. [No authors listed]. Benfotiamine Monograph. Altern Med Rev.

2006;11(3):238-42.

11. Pomero F, Molinar MA, La SM, et al. Benfotiamine is similar to

thiamine in correcting endothelial cell defects induced by high glucose. Acta

Diabetol. 2001;38(3):135-8.

12. Bitsch R, Wolf M, Moller J, Heuzeroth L, Gruneklee D. Bioavailability

assessment of the lipophilic benfotiamine as compared to a water-soluble

thiamin derivative. Ann Nutr Metab. 1991;35(5):292-6.

13. Beltramo E, Berrone E, Buttiglieri S, Porta M. Thiamine and

benfotiamine prevent increased apoptosis in endothelial cells and pericytes

cultured

in high glucose. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2004 Jul;20(4):330-6.

14. MC, Baynes JW, Thorpe SR, ME. The role of AGEs and AGE

inhibitors in diabetic cardiovascular disease. Curr Drug Targets. 2005

Jun;6(4):453-74.

15. Cameron NE, Gibson TM, Nangle MR, Cotter MA. Inhibitors of advanced

glycation end product formation and neurovascular dysfunction in

experimental diabetes. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2005 Jun;1043:784-92.

16. Sheehan P. Peripheral arterial disease in people with diabetes:

consensus statement recommends screening. Clinical Diabetes. 2004:22:179-80.

17. Li SY, Du M, Dolence EK, et al. Aging induces cardiac diastolic

dysfunction, oxidative stress, accumulation of advanced glycation endproducts

and protein modification. Aging Cell. 2005 Apr;4(2):57-64.

18. Sadekov RA, Danilov AB, Vein AM. Diabetic polyneuropathy treatment by

milgamma-100 preparation. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im SS Korsakova.

1998;98(9):30-2.

19. Kolomoiskaia MB, Degonskii AI, Grishina RA. The myocardial

contractile function and central hemodynamics of patients with

insulin-dependent

diabetes mellitus during treatment. Probl Endokrinol (Mosk). 1989

Jul;35(4):12-5.

20. Wu S, Ren J. Benfotiamine alleviates diabetes-induced cerebral

oxidative damage independent of advanced glycation end-product, tissue factor

and

TNF-alpha. Neurosci Lett. 2006 Feb 13;394(2):158-62.

21. Available at:

_http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/article.cfm?aid=558_

(http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/article.cfm?aid=558) . Accessed

October 23, 2006.

22. Stirban A, Negrean M, Stratmann B, et al. Benfotiamine prevents

macro- and microvascular endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress following

a meal rich in advanced glycation end products in individuals with type 2

diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2006 Sep;29(9):2064-71.

23. Marchetti V, Menghini R, Rizza S, et al. Benfotiamine counteracts

glucose toxicity effects on endothelial progenitor cell differentiation via

Akt/FoxO signaling. Diabetes. 2006 Aug;55(8):2231-7.

24. Gadau S, Emanueli C, Van LS, et al. Benfotiamine accelerates the

healing of ischaemic diabetic limbs in mice through protein kinase

B/Akt-mediated potentiation of angiogenesis and inhibition of apoptosis.

Diabetologia.

2006 Feb;49(2):405-20.

25. Sanada H, Higashi Y, Goto C, ma K, Yoshizumi M, Sueda T.

Vascular function in patients with lower extremity peripheral arterial disease:

a

comparison of functions in upper and lower extremities. Atherosclerosis.

2005 Jan;178(1):179-85.

26. Fadini GP, Miorin M, Facco M, et al. Circulating endothelial

progenitor cells are reduced in peripheral vascular complications of type 2

diabetes mellitus. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005 May 3;45(9):1449-57.

27. Ceylan-Isik AF, Wu S, Li Q, Li SY, Ren J. High-dose benfotiamine

rescues cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced

diabetes mellitus. J Appl Physiol. 2006 Jan;100(1):150-6.

28. Lonsdale D. A review of the biochemistry, metabolism and clinical

benefits of thiamin(e) and its derivatives. Evid Based Complement Alternat

Med. 2006 Mar;3(1):49-59.

Copyright © 2007 Life Extension Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by

permission.

RELATED ARTICLES

Summary of Abstracts

_http://www.benfotiamine.org/Benfotiamine.htm#summary_

(http://www.benfotiamine.org/Benfotiamine.htm#summary)

Shielding Nerve Structure

While most “anti-AGE†supplements rely on test-tube “browningâ€

experiments as the “evidence†of efficacy, Benfotiamine has been proven in

multiple

real-world human and animal studies to reduce AGE formation and support

tissue structure and function in diabetics.

These benefits are not due to changes in blood sugar levels (either

fasting, or after a meal, or averaged over several months (as measured by

HbA1c),

or improvements in metabolic benchmarks. They are the direct results of

Benfotiamine’s AGE-fighting, metabolic-balancing powers.

And there’s another AGE-related disease that researchers believe

Benfotiamine may fight: the loss of kidney function which accompanies

“normalâ€

aging, and which is accelerated by diabetes. Dr. Thornalley of the

University of Essex has just completed a study designed to see if Benfotiamine

will protect diabetic rodents against kidney damage. While the results have not

yet been published, Dr. Thornalley has indicated that both megadose

thiamin and Benfotiamine caused clear-cut reductions in the leakage of protein

–

with Benfotiamine showing itself to be the superior intervention. A second

study is now underway to see if Benfotiamine will actually improve kidney

function in diabetic animals with pre-existing kidney damage, as it has

already been shown to do in the nerves of diabetic animals and humans.

These are not test-tube studies. The results experienced when taking

Benfotiamine occur not merely in labs, but in lives: in the bodies – and in

the

health – of living things, from experimental animals to human beings. In

Benfotiamine, we finally have a proven way to protect tissues from the AGE

assault.

Thiamine 'reverses kidney damage'

Doses of vitamin B1 (thiamine) can reverse early kidney disease in people

with type 2 diabetes, research shows.

A third of the patients in the study saw a return to normal urinary

albumin excretion after being treated with high dose (300mg) thiamine taken

orally each day for three months.

The experts say thiamine works by helping protect cells against the

harmful effects of the high blood sugar levels found in diabetes.

Lead researcher Professor Thornalley said: " This is the first study

of its kind and suggests that correcting thiamine deficiency in people with

diabetes with thiamine supplements may provide improved therapy for

early-stage kidney disease. "

_http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7796073.stm_

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7796073.stm)

Diabetes problems 'vitamin link'

There are more than two million people in the UK with diabetes

A simple vitamin deficiency may be the cause of many of the side effects

of diabetes, a study suggests.

The Warwick University team said thiamine helped ward off complications

such as heart disease and eye problems, the Diabetologia journal said.

Researchers found people with the disease expelled thiamine - vitamin B1 -

from their bodies at 15 times the normal rate in a study of 94 people.

The team measured thiamine levels in blood plasma and found concentrations

were 76% lower in people with type 1 diabetes and 75% lower in people with

type 2. _http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6935482.stm_

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6935482.stm)

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