5 replies to this topic

[lynx]

Originally posted by Timothy at Sci.life-extension

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2005 Jun;1043:777-83.


High-dose thiamine therapy counters dyslipidemia and advanced glycation
of plasma protein in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.


Karachalias N, Babaei-Jadidi R, Kupich C, Ahmed N, Thornalley PJ.


Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park,
Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK. t...@essex.ac.uk.


The streptozotocin-induced (STZ) diabetic rat experimental model of
diabetes on insulin maintenance therapy exhibits dyslipidemia, mild
thiamine deficiency, and increased plasma protein advanced glycation
end products (AGEs). The reversal of thiamine deficiency by high-dose
thiamine and S-benzoylthiamine monophosphate (benfotiamine) prevented
the development of incipient nephropathy. Recently, we reported that
high-dose thiamine (but not benfotiamine) countered diabetic
dyslipidemia. To understand further the differences between the effects
of thiamine and benfotiamine therapy, we quantified the levels of the
AGEs in plasma protein. We found hydroimidazolone AGE residues derived
from glyoxal and methylglyoxal, G-H1 and MG-H1, were increased 115% and
68% in STZ diabetic rats, with respect to normal controls, and were
normalized by both thiamine and benfotiamine; whereas
N-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) and N-carboxyethyl-lysine (CEL) residues
were increased 74% and 118% in STZ diabetic rats and were normalized by
thiamine only. The lack of effect of benfotiamine on plasma CML and CEL
residue concentrations suggests there may be important precursors of
plasma protein CML and CEL residues other than glyoxal and
methylglyoxal. These are probably lipid-derived aldehydes.


PMID: 16037305 [PubMed - in process]


http://www.ncbi.nlm......ve&db=PubMed...


http://www.ncbi.nlm......ve&db=PubMed...

[stephen_b]

Bump out of 2005. This would seem to be an important result. I wonder how much thiamine constitutes "high-dose"?

Thiamine appears quite safe:

The Food and Nutrition Board did not set a tolerable upper level (UL) of intake for thiamin because there are no well-established toxic effects from the consumption of excess thiamin in food or through long-term oral supplementation (up to 200 mg/day).

Some other interesting thiamine benefits:

Despite their ostensibly normal nutritional status, after two months the students who took extra thiamine more than doubled their scores on the clear-headedness and mood subclasses of the bipolar Profile of Mood States (POMS) psychological test. Students treated with placebo showed no change. Those taking thiamine also increased their quickness on a reaction-time test. Again, the placebo group was unchanged. Finally, improvement also occurred on POMS subscales that measured if a participant felt confident, composed or elated. However, these latter results were not statistically significant.

StephenB

[Lufega]

In my neurology class, the professor asked about something he taught the day before. No one remembered. He called us dumb and slow and said we needed more thiamin. So there you go

[GoodFellas]

How much Thiamin is recommended a day?

[stephen_b]

The researchers used 7mg/kg and 70 mg/kg of both thiamine and benfotiamine. The best results were at seen 70mg/kg.

Even if divided by 6 to factor in the rat's surface area, that still comes to just about 800 mg for a 150 pound person. There is no upper limit set for thiamine, though 800 mg/day is perhaps too much.

StephenB

[Lufega]

I've used as much as 500 mg per day with no noticeable side effects.