B Vitamin Studied in Blood Sugar

by CP Staff

According to a new study, vitamin B1 (thiamine) may help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

In this new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 24 subjects with blood sugar concerns who had not been treated with any pharmacological intervention were supplemented for one month with 150 mg of oral thiamine daily or placebo, which were taken while fasting. The subjects were evaluated with blood tests at the beginning of the study and again after 1 month.

Tests included fasting blood glucose; hemoglobin A1C, which is a measure of long-term blood glucose control; creatinine, which is used as a marker of kidney function; and lipid levels such as total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol. The subjects were also evaluated for inflammatory markers including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha as well as levels of the hormones leptin and adiponectin, which are important in glucose control and fat metabolism.

The results showed that there was a significant reduction in glucose and leptin levels after thiamine supplementation compared to levels at the beginning of the study.

The study authors concluded that thiamine administration for 1 month decreased glucose and leptin concentrations in this group of patients.

Reference:

González-Ortiz M, Martínez-Abundis E, Robles-Cervantes JA, Ramírez-Ramírez V, Ramos-Zavala MG. Effect of thiamine administration on metabolic profile, cytokines and inflammatory markers in drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes. Eur J Nutr. 2010 Jul 23. Published Online Ahead of Print.