Benfotiamine made headlines globally in 2003 when researchers released information about a study that was conducted at The Einstein College of Medicine in New York. The bottom line of this study was that a substance of the allithiamine group of the naturally occurring thiamine-derived compounds had positive effects on neuropathy, retinopathy and nephropathy and heart/circulatory problems in diabetics.

Benfotiamine research has suggested that there are beneficial effects for diabetics and non-diabetics also. These benefits include sciatica, vascular health, general nerve health, lower blood pressure, grant cellular protection, anti-aging, fibromyalgia, prevention of lactic acidosis, and treatment for Alzheimers disease. Any condition that is the result of a thiamine deficiency will also respond quite well to benfotiamine. Of course, any bodily function that is improved by a therapeutic level of thiamine will certainly be enhanced by benfotiamine, since benfotiamine is perhaps the most effective form of thiamine.

Benfotiamine, a derivative of thiamine (vitamin B1), was an invention of Japanese scientists and there is a U.S. patent on benfotiamine that was entered by the Japanese back in 1962. Japanese benfotiamine is considered the purest source of bulk benfotiamine and is favored by manufacturers globally who insist on the highest quality in their benfotiamine product.

The safety of benfotiamine use has been proven over 12 years of use in Europe for the treatment and prevention of diabetic complications among others. The original Japanese patent on benfotiamine gave information that it is even less toxic than common vitamin B1 (thiamine hydrochloride usually). Orally ingested vitamin B1 has a long history of use as an oral supplement without reported adverse effects. Due to its therapeutic action in some frequently observed clinical syndromes, thiamine hydrochloride has been advised and used over a long period of time. There are no reports of adverse effects of oral thiamine, even at dosages of several hundred milligrams a day (SCOGS, 1978; DHEW, 1979; Marks, 1989).

Benfotiamine has a very good safety record. To date, there has been no reports of any known, negative interactions with any medications. To the contrary, some medications actually can cause a thiamine deficiency in some people and benfotiamine could correct this serious situation.

Many researchers, medical experts, doctors, podiatrists and many medical publishers recommend benfotiamine for neuropathy, retinopathy nephropathy, heart/circulatory complications and B1 deficiencies. Any in depth study on the web will produce physicians, naturopaths, neurologists, optometrists, chiropractors, etc. who have very positive feelings about the effectiveness and potential of benfotiamine in terms of the research done to date on this important tool in the arsenal against neuropathy, retinopathy and beneficial for the heart and circulatory system. We have professional healthcare providers from all of these disciplines which shows the confidence the medical community has in the purity and bioavailability of our benfotiamine product.

Dr. David Williams, publisher of Alternatives Newsletter, wrote an in depth article concerning benfotiamine in his May, 2004 issue. This article is an eye opener in terms of how effective benfotiamine can be for many health conditions. If possible, it would be beneficial for any interested reader to take a look at this article. For more information about this article you may contact the author below.

Dr Paul Chous is another medical professional who sees the merits of benfotiamine:

"I suspect strongly that benfotiamine will mitigate (or, hopefully, prevent) DRT in humans, but the burden of proof has not yet been met. The case for symptomatic relief of neuropathy symptoms is, of course, more tangible." http://www.emuhealthproducts.com/drchous.html

In conclusion, the consensus for benfotiamine is very positive and are worth investigating. If you or anyone you know is a diabetic, the great possibility of developing diabetic complications over time makes benfotiamine a viable tool in the arsenal for protection. If they are already experiencing complications such as neuropathy, retinopathy, and others, they will benefit from possible reduction in the progression along with pain relief in terms of peripheral neuropathy and other neuropathies.