Diabetic Complications - Can Benfotiamine Help Prevent Them?

Diabetic complications contribute too many life threatening diseases globally. The root cause of diabetic complications is elevated glucose levels which contribute to blood vessel damage. Diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, or neuropathy are caused by damage to small blood vessel in the eyes, nerves and kidneys, etc. The bottom line of this damage is the lowering of the life expectancy of millions of diabetics worldwide.

What Can Be Done About It?

Few therapies are available today that treat diabetic complications. Most healthcare professionals recommend that their patients monitor their blood sugar by taking several blood readings a day to determine the amount of sugar in their blood. Blood sugar readings are generally higher from one to two hours after a meal.

It is suggested by these professionals that keeping blood sugar readings as close to normal as possible will reduce the onset of diabetic complications. Research has shown that there are four, chemical pathways that lead to diabetic complications. Instead of trying to explain these rather difficult chemical pathways, let the reader understand that diabetic complications are mainly caused by excess sugar in the cells, a condition known by the term advanced glycation endproducts (AGE) formation.

The research that was released in 2003 by a team of researchers from the Albert Einstein Collage of Medicine opened the possibilities that it may be possible to actually prevent and/or contain diabetic complications such as retinopathy, neuropathy and heart/circulatory conditions brought about by the presence of advanced glycation endproducts.

What Did This Research Suggest?

The Einstein researchers' work showed that a substance called, "benfotiamine", could reduce the effects of AGE by increasing the amount of an enzyme called transketolase. The research indicated that transketolase was increased by 300% which was enough to make a serious reduction of three of the four chemical pathways that open the door for diabetic complications in terms of vascular damage in diabetics. This vascular damage is directly responsible for the diabetic complications such as neuropathy, retinopathy and heart/circulatory conditions that lead to heart attack and stroke.

Can Benfotaimine Be Considered A Prudent Preventative?

Current research suggests that benfotiamine could possibly reduce the chances of diabetics developing the aforementioned complications. Many healthcare professionals readily recommend patients to add this nutritional supplement to their toolkit in the battle to prevent these insidious conditions that shorten the lives of thousands of diabetics annually.

Research:

Hans-Peter Hammes, Xueliang Du, Diane Edelstein, Tetsuya Taguchi, Takeshi Matsumura, Qida Ju, Jihong Lin, Angelika Bierhaus, Peter Nawroth, Dieter Hannak, Michael Neumaier, Regine Bergfeld, Ida Giardino, Michael Brownlee. Benfotiamine blocks three major pathways of hyperglycemic damage and prevents experimental diabetic retinopathy. Nature Medicine 9, 294 - 299 (01 Mar 2003).

Michael Brownlee. Biochemistry and molecular cell biology of diabetic complications Nature 414, 813 - 820 (13 Dec 2001).

Roya Babaei-Jadidi, Nikolaos Karachalias, Naila Ahmed, Sinan Battah, Paul J. Thornalley. Prevention of incipient diabetic nephropathy by high-dose thiamine and benfotiamine ? Complications. Diabetes. (August 2003).

Zach Malott is CEO of Brentwood Health International, a nutritional supplement company involved in distribution and supplying wholesale, retail and end users.

---

Diabetic Foot Care Tips: Cant Afford to Ignore It!

Most of the time, we focus on health or skin... Read More

Diabetes: Calling For Double Trouble!

Diabetes!!!Open your eyes to the catastrophic effects of Diabetes. The... Read More

Insulin

Insulin has two critical roles in the body that we... Read More

Diabetic Complications - Can Benfotiamine Help Prevent Them?

Diabetic complications contribute too many life threatening diseases globally. The... Read More

Exercise & Diabetes

You are no doubt aware that exercise can help prevent... Read More

Have Diabetes, But Enjoy Quality Food? Try Diabetic Recipes!

Having diabetes certainly limits some of the food you can... Read More

Get Rid of Your Diabetes

People at risk of getting the disease drop by a... Read More

Diabetes... Sweet Story of Healing

In a time not too long ago, there lived a... Read More

Pre-Diabetes Awareness: Gamblers Understand the Odds

Do you gamble? Play Texas Hold'em poker, casino games, or... Read More

Type II Diabetes: Insulin-Dependent Diabetes

The term diabetes refers to higher than normal levels of... Read More

Diabetic Fruits

Fruit gives you energy, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.Examples of fruits... Read More

Build Health: Want To Prevent Diabetes?

To prevent diabetes you will get a real jolt when... Read More

Diabetes Type 2 and Artificial Sweeteners

Diabetes Type 2 (adult onset)Refined carbs/sugars are actually the biggest... Read More

Diabetes and Exercise - Just Move it!

While exercise and eating guidelines are based on good scientific... Read More

Protein Principles for Diabetes

Dietary considerations can present a Hobson's choice in diabetes. Even... Read More

I Have Diabetes or Another Chronic Condition - Should I Use an HSA?

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are becoming quite popular for people... Read More

Diabetes - A National Epidemic

Are you a diabetic? If so, you are definitely not... Read More

Fanning the Flames of the Diabetes Epidemic

INTRODUCTIONIt is my pleasure to introduce to you, a new... Read More

Diabetes: African Americans Deadly Foe

Diabetes is having a devastating effect on the African American... Read More

Diabetes and Glyconutrients

Today, most people with diabetes are only treating the symptoms.... Read More

Improper pH Balance Increases Risk and Damage of Diabetes

THE RISKBlood sugar balance is critical to your body's proper... Read More

Raising Happy Diabetic Kids

This is the first in a series of articles I... Read More

Can We Do More for Diabetics? New Research Suggests that We Can

Diabetes can briefly be defined as a state when the... Read More

Ascensia Breeze Glucometer Rated

Simple Testing Over and Over* simple and easy testing. Simple... Read More

Pre-Diabetes - The Calm Before the Storm

Remember when the medical world identified pre-hypertension to better monitor... Read More

Diabetes Awareness: Diabetes on the Job

When you go to work, your diabetes goes with you.You... Read More

Favorite Desserts For A Diabetic Husband

It's easier than you think to create delicious desserts for... Read More

Diabetes Awreness: There?s No Substitute for Good Friends

Was there a time when you relished the idea of... Read More

Exercising for Diabetes Sufferers

Exercise is often recommended in treating type 1 (insulin- dependent)... Read More

Diabetes

The following information is for educational purposes only and is... Read More

Fibromyalgia and Insulin Resistance

Do you have symptoms that relate to an insulin imbalance?... Read More

Diabetes Awareness: Ill Wait til it Hurts

By the time many type 2 diabetics (and often their... Read More

Diabetes the Silent Killer ? The Iceberg Effect!

What sank the "Unsinkable Ship" the Titanic was not the... Read More