Have you been informed about this unique B vitamin that helps fight dementia?
Written by Susan Parker | Updated on May 28, 2025
Reviewed by Susan Parker
11 sources cited
Picture a supplement that not only safeguards your heart and nerves but also has the potential to combat Alzheimer’s disease. This potent nutrient, benfotiamine, is a type of vitamin B1 (thiamine) that dissolves in fats and is gaining recognition for its broad health advantages.
Originally formulated in the 1950s, benfotiamine has been validated to shield the body from harm caused by elevated blood sugar, improve brain function and alleviate brain fog, and even promote heart health.
Whether you aim to enhance your cognitive capabilities or shield your organs from diabetic issues, benfotiamine could be the transformative element you've been seeking. Keep reading to explore how this distinctive compound might assist you in sustaining better health over time.
Overview
What is Benfotiamine?
Benfotiamine, a distinct form of thiamine, might help protect against heart ailments, diabetic complications, and Alzheimer’s disease. Initially devised in the 1950s by Japanese researchers, benfotiamine is a fat-soluble variant of thiamine (vitamin B1) that penetrates the body more efficiently than conventional thiamine.Since then, this fresh thiamine form has been discovered to possess remarkable benefits. Research indicates that benfotiamine can help shield the body from harm caused by elevated blood sugar levels and may assist the brain, heart, and other organs in maintaining better health.
Benfotiamine stands out due to its fat-solubility. This characteristic allows the nutrient to enter the body's cells at a heightened rate compared to water-soluble thiamine.
Blood Sugar Improvement
Upon entry, as per laboratory tests at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, benfotiamine has the potential to impede three physiological pathways in the body that, in individuals with diabetes, can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, and leg damage requiring amputation.1
As per Einstein researchers, benfotiamine generates these remarkable health effects by activating a body enzyme called transketolase. Transketolase is capable of preventing excessive blood glucose from transforming into metabolites that harm the body's organs and structures.
Instead, the enzyme converts these toxins into harmless substances.
"By pure chance, it was discovered that benfotiamine increased transketolase enzyme activity by 300 to 400 percent – something that could not have been foreseen based on benfotiamine's chemical structure," says researcher Michael Brownlee, MD.
A Brighter, Healthier Brain
In an intriguing research area, scientists are currently exploring the potential brain effects of benfotiamine.
Some studies concentrate on what the brain needs when acquiring a new skill or studying a new subject, like a foreign language. This necessitates the brain's neurons to establish new networks to assimilate new memories and knowledge – termed neural plasticity. When memory decline sets in and brain fog and cognitive deterioration occur, this plasticity diminishes.
Lab trials in Europe and Asia reveal that benfotiamine can help sustain the brain’s plasticity.2
According to this research and other investigations, benfotiamine interacts with our gene functions to induce epigenetic effects that restrict the production and activity of an enzyme named GSK3β. GSK3β can obstruct neural plasticity, and benfotiamine mitigates this negative impact.3
Moreover, additional research demonstrates that benfotiamine can protect against the brain-damaging impacts of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that can arise from high blood sugar.4 AGEs develop when accumulated sugar in the body interacts with fats. Yet, benfotiamine has been proven to thwart AGE formation in the brain and spinal cord.
And this is just the start...
The Future of Dementia Treatment?
Benfotiamine has shown promise in preliminary studies as a potential Alzheimer's disease treatment, but its efficacy in human clinical trials is still being examined.
Laboratory and animal tests have indicated that benfotiamine can offer neuroprotective benefits, particularly through its ability to diminish oxidative stress and inflammation. In mice, benfotiamine enhanced cognitive function and reduced Alzheimer's-associated markers like beta-amyloid plaques.
In the U.S., a nationwide clinical trial tested benfotiamine to determine its effectiveness as a metabolic therapy for Alzheimer's disease. This research was significant and received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Aging, and the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study at the University of California San Diego in partnership with Burke Neurological Institute and Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
While some participants displayed improvements, further investigations with larger and longer trials are required to assess its therapeutic potential.
Enhanced Heart Health
Aside from benefiting brain health, studies have also revealed that benfotiamine may aid the heart by reducing the risk of heart disease and assisting heart cells in recovery following cardiac incidents.
Lab experiments involving researchers in Germany and the Middle East demonstrate that benfotiamine can lower the levels of cardiac enzymes associated with heart damage while reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and preventing heart cell death.5
The researchers suggest that benfotiamine “could be considered a promising agent for therapeutic and preventive interventions in various cardiovascular conditions.”
Benfotiamine is authorized as a drug in Germany prescribed for treating diabetic neuropathy, sciatica, and other painful nerve conditions.
How To Use Benfotiamine
Currently, benfotiamine is available as a dietary supplement. If you opt to take it, the recommended dose is around 150 to 300mg twice daily.6 Experts indicate that there are minimal potential side effects, though some individuals might experience stomach discomfort or temporary skin flushing, similar to certain B vitamins.
Summary
Benfotiamine, a fat-soluble variant of vitamin B1 (thiamine), provides numerous health benefits, particularly in safeguarding against diabetic complications, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Its distinct fat-soluble properties enable it to be absorbed more effectively than regular thiamine, empowering it to boost an enzyme that prevents harmful metabolic byproducts resulting from elevated blood sugar. Research implies that benfotiamine enhances brain plasticity, defends against advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and potentially serves as a therapy for Alzheimer's and other cognitive decline conditions.
FAQs
What is benfotiamine?
Benfotiamine is a fat-soluble form of vitamin B1 (thiamine) that is better absorbed by the body, offering protection against diabetic complications, heart disease, and cognitive decline.
How does benfotiamine benefit brain health?
Benfotiamine enhances neural plasticity and protects the brain from damage caused by high blood sugar and advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are harmful compounds that develop in the body.
Can benfotiamine help prevent Alzheimer's disease?
Ongoing research is exploring benfotiamine's potential as an Alzheimer's treatment, with indications that it may safeguard the brain from cognitive decline.
What are the heart health benefits of benfotiamine?
Benfotiamine has been demonstrated to lower cardiac enzyme levels linked to heart damage, reduce oxidative stress, diminish inflammation, and aid heart cells in recovery from injury.
Are there any side effects of taking benfotiamine?
Benfotiamine is generally safe, but some individuals may experience mild side effects like stomach discomfort or temporary skin flushing, common with certain B vitamins.
