Not every person with diabetes develops kidney damage, but the disease does put you at added risk. Some evidence suggests that taking large doses of thiamine -- also sometimes spelled thiamin -- may prevent nephropathy, which is a diabetes-related kidney disease. Although you can purchase thiamine -- vitamin B-1 -- without a prescription, talk to your doctor before taking it or other over-the-counter supplements. Thiamine may cause skin irritation and, in rare cases, allergic reactions.
Risk Factors
Your kidneys help remove waste from your body. Uncontrolled high blood sugar may damage your kidney's filtering structures. The blood vessels in your kidneys may scar, causing protein to pass into your urine. Your risk of developing diabetes-related kidney damage increases if you have high blood pressure or smoke. Persons who developed type 1 diabetes before they turned 20 as well as persons of Native American, African-American or Hispanic descent also face greater risk.
Thiamine and Kidney Damage Prevention
Although research on the subject remains new, several studies show promise for the use of thiamine in preventing kidney disease in persons with diabetes. In one of the studies, R. Babaei-Jadidi and other researchers at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom gave participants 300 mg of thiamine daily in three 100 mg doses for three months. At the end of the study, persons who took the thiamine supplements showed decreased amounts of albumin -- an indication of kidney disease -- in their urine. The study was published in "Diabetes" in August 2003.
Thiamine and Kidney Damage Reversal
A more recent animal study suggests that thiamine may help reverse kidney damage caused by diabetes. The study, also conducted at the University of Essex, involved inducing type 2 diabetes in rats. The rats who developed kidney damage received supplements of thiamine and benfotiamine -- a derivative of vitamin B-2. Their symptoms of kidney damage went away, according to the report in the July 2010 issue of "Dermatologia." N. Karachalias, a researcher at the University of Essex, led the study.
Considerations
Although research about thiamine and kidney disease in persons with diabetes shows promise, more research is needed. Ask your doctor about the benefits and risks of thiamine therapy for diabetes-related kidney disease. The dose used in the studies is far greater than the normal recommended daily allowance for thiamine. Your doctor will likely test your urine regularly to check for possible kidney disease. Early stages of kidney disease may not include symptoms, but report any of the following indicators: poor appetite, excessive frothing of your urine, frequent hiccups, swelling in your legs or around your eyes, vomiting and nausea.
References
- MedlinePlus: Diabetic Nephropathy
- MedlinePlus: Thiamine (Vitamin B1); May 9, 2011
- "Diabetes"; Prevention of Incipient Diabetic Nephropathy By High-Dose Thiamine and Benfotiamine; R. Babaei-Jadidi, et al.; August 2003
- "Diabetologia"; Increased Protein Damage in Renal Gglomeruli, 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
