Recent study results suggest that taking a high-dose vitamin B1 supplement each day may help diabetics reduce their risk of kidney damage.
Diabetic nephropathy, or kidney disease, is a common complication of type 2 diabetes. An early indicator of kidney disease is microalbuminuria, where the kidney leaks albumin into the urine. Researchers set out to investigate whether supplementation with vitamin B1 would effect microalbuminuria.
Type 2 diabetics were given 300 milligrams of vitamin B1 (thiamine) each day for three months. Results showed that the vitamin supplement reduced the rate of albumin excretion by 41%. Furthermore, 35% of patients with microalbuminuria saw their urine albumin excretion return to normal after being treated with the vitamin. Thus, suggesting that treatment with high-dose vitamin B1 can reverse the onset of early diabetic kidney disease.
Rabbani N, Alam SS, Riaz S, Larkin JR, Akhtar MW, Shaf T, Thornalley PJ. High-dose thiamine therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria: a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study. Diabetologia. Published online December 5th 2008. doi: 10.1007/s00125-008-1224-4
