Category Archives: diabetes

Thiamine Deficiency and Diabetes by Jeffrey Dach MD

Left Image: Spark Plug of Life which represents the role of thiamine in cellular energy production, courtesy of wikimedia commons.Pharmacist Stuart Lindsey Comes Clean

Stuart Lindsey is a pharmacist with a few observations about diabetic drug treatment written in a May 2012 article. (1A )  For many years, Stuart managed a neighborhood pharmacy observing his diabetic customers faithfully taking diabetic medications, yet they had little improvement in health: Here is a quote from his article:

“After prolonged consumption of their diabetic medications, their health did not improve. This was disturbing to me (1A)”

When Stuart Lindsey himself developed diabetes, presenting as painful neuropathy in his feet, he began researching diabetes, in a self-interested attempt to understand and cure his symptoms.  While researching, Stuart discovered a 2005 paper by Dr. Thornalley detailing how many of the symptoms of diabetes are due to thiamine deficiency (Vitamin B1).(7)

Increased Renal Excretion of Thiamine

Thiamine (B1) levels are lower in diabetics, partly because the elevated blood sugar causes increased thiamine excretion by the kidney at a rate twenty-five times higher than normal. (1,2) This leads to an acute deficiency of thiamine, also called beri-beri.(1C)  In addition,  other B vitamins,  vitamin C and Vitamin D supplementation may also be beneficial.[1B]

Thiamine Deficiency Not On The Radar Screen

Stuart Lindsey reasoned that most of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, the neuropathy, kidney damage, retinopathy (eye damage), and eventually heart failure are from thiamine deficiency (acute beriberi) (1A)(1C)   Beri-Beri is thought to be rare in the US and the western world and merely of historical interest.  After all, boxes of cereal at the grocery store are fortified with B vitamins to prevent beri-beri and pellagra (niacin deficiency).  For the most part, thiamin deficiency in diabetes is not even on the radar screen for mainstream medical doctors. And it should be.

Above Image: 1920 photo of the People’s Drug Store located in Washington, D.C.
Source: United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs division digital ID cph.3c17302, courtesy of wikimedia commons.

Stuart’s Vitamin Program

When Stuart Lindsey was diagnosed with type II diabetes, his doctor placed him on the standard diabetic drugs, statins, metformin and Byetta, all of which he refused to take.   Instead, based on Dr. Thornalley’s theory of diabetes as an acute thiamine deficiency, Stuart Lindsey began a regimen of vitamin and mineral supplements.  This is his list of supplements:

1) Source Naturals Benfotiamine -Thiamine 150mg tabs  (2 tabs 3x/day)
2) Pyridoxal-5-phosphate 50 mg caps (2 caps, 100mg/day)
3) Magnesium Citrate 150 mg caps (2 caps with meals, 3x/ day)
4) Acetyl-l-carnitine 500 mg caps (2 caps between meals, 1000 mg/day)
5) Vitamin C 1000 mg caps buffered (2-3 caps per day with or between meals)

also recommended by others:

6) Alpha Lipoic Acid
7) Source Naturals Vanadium with Chromium, 180 Tablets
8) Dietary Fiber
9) Tocotrienol Vitamin E
10) Exercise and Weight Reduction Program (call my office for details)

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