Thiamine Deficency - link to Diabetes side effectd

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk A simple vitamin deficiency may be the cause of many of the side effects of diabetes, a study suggests. Researchers found people with the disease expelled thiamine - vitamin B1 - from their bodies at 15 times the normal rate in a study of 94 people. The Warwick University team said thiamine helped ward off complications such as heart disease and eye problems, It is the first time a deficiency of the vitamin, which is found in meat, yeast and grains, has been identified in people with diabetes. Thiamine is key to warding off vascular problems such as kidney, retina and nerve damage as well as heart disease and stroke. It works by helping protect cells against the effect of high glucose levels. "Around 80% of people with diabetes die of cardiovascular disease and diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the UK's working age population. Supplementing diets could be an effective way of minimising the risk of these complications."

Next time I go shopping, I am getting some B1.
If true, this is great news for diabetics.