Vitamin B-1, also known as thiamine, assists your body in converting carbohydrates in your diet into usable energy. Thiamine also contributes to heart, muscle and nerve function. Vitamin B-12, also known as cobalamin, contributes to red blood cell formation, and helps maintain your central nervous system. These two B-complex vitamins may be useful for preventing and treating some forms of nerve dysfunction. Consult your doctor for advice about using supplements to treat or prevent a medical condition.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Thiamine deficiency, though rare in developed parts of the world, can contribute to a form of nerve damage known as peripheral neuropathy, says Jerry Roy Mendell, author of the book "Diagnosis and Management of Peripheral Nerve Disorders." Degeneration of the axons, long processes of nerve cells that travel out and connect with other nerve cells, can occur in thiamine deficiency. Mendell recommends 100 mg per day for seven days, and after that, taking 50 mg per day until your diet supplies sufficient maintenance levels of thiamine. Expect slow and steady progress over six to 12 months as your nerve function returns, Mendell says. University of Maryland Medical Center recommends a daily maintenance intake of 1.1 mg per day for women 19 and older, and 1.2 mg per day for boys and men 14 and older.
Glycation
A study published in the July 2010 issue of the journal "Diabetologia" found thiamine supplementation beneficial at decreasing nerve damage associated with diabetes in laboratory animals. In the study, 7 mg of thiamine per kilogram body weight reversed glycation of blood cells, a process in which excess blood sugar levels cause glucose to attach to blood cells, resulting in rapid oxidation and damage. Thiamine also decreased excretion of oxidation and nitrate-damaged molecules by as much as 27 times.
Symptom Lag
Vitamin B-12 deficiency may take three to five years before signs begin to show, with nerve damage the first to occur due to improper nerve cell formation, according to John D. Kirschmann, author of the book "Nutrition Almanac." Your arms and legs may become weak and sore. Other signs include decreased reflexes, impaired sense of touch or pain, altered gait, memory loss and inflammation in the nerves. Vitamin B-12 is safe to take in high doses, and some health care professionals regularly recommend 100 mcg per day. If you are a strict vegetarian, your diet may be deficient in vitamin B-12 but high in folic acid, which works together with B-12 and can hide a B-12 deficiency. Eating some eggs or dairy regularly or taking a supplement can prevent deficiency.
Nerve Conduction
Researchers of a study published in the April 2011 issue of the "European Journal of Clinical Investigation" found that vitamin B-12 supplementation improved nerve function in diabetes-associated nerve damage. In the study on laboratory animals, 10 mg per kilogram body weight of methlycobalamin per day for 16 weeks improved nerve conduction velocity, the speed at which nerve signals are transmitted. Researchers concluded that vitamin B-12 may reduce oxidative stress and improve nerve signaling in diabetics.
References
- "Diagnosis and Management of Peripheral Nerve Disorders"; Jerry Roy Mendell; 2001
- University Of Maryland Medical Center: Thiamine
- "Diabetologia"; Increased Protein Damage in Renal Glomeruli, Retina, Nerve, Plasma and Urine and Its Prevention by Thiamine and Benfotiamine Therapy in a Rat Model of Diabetes; N. Karachalias, et al.; July 2010
- "Nutrition Almanac"; John D. Kirschmann; 2006
- "European Journal of Clinical Investigation"; Methylcobalamin Effects on Diabetic Neuropathy and Nerve Protein Kinase C in Rats; H. Mizukami, et al.; April 2011
Member Comments