How to Decrease or Eliminate Diabetic Neuropathy Naturally

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, a condition where the nerves of the body are damaged, is a common side effect of diabetes. About 40 percent of type 2 diabetics feel the effects of the neuropathy in their feet, legs, hands and arms.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy shows up as one or more of the following symptoms:

• Tingling and numbness in the toes, fingers, or legs
• Feeling cold, pain or burning feet, hands or legs
• Extreme sensitivity to touch, even a light touch
• Sharp pains or cramps
• Loss of balance and coordination

Symptoms are often worse at night.

Causes of nerve damage

Higher than normal sugar levels in the body cause the outer sheathing (protective covering) of nerve cells to degenerate. This is similar to an electrical wire that is covered with insulation, and the insulation is beginning to crumble. Without insulation the unprotected wire will start short-circuiting.

In the same way, when the sheathing of nerve cells degenerate, the signals being transmitted are scrambled, resulting in your body receiving signals that are interpreted as numbness, heat, cold, tingling, pain, etc.

What can be done about it?

It’s been shown that increased levels of Thiamine, vitamin B1, in the blood stream can be very effective in reducing and reversing diabetic neuropathy. Unfortunately, like all the B vitamins, B1 is water-soluble. In other words it can’t be stored in the body. When more than 5 mg are taken by mouth it is flushed out of the body within three to four hours.

In the past if you wanted to treat your neuropathy with B1 you had two different choices: periodic intravenous feeding or through injections every few weeks. However, a new fat-soluble type of vitamin B1, called Benfotiamine, has now been produced.

This new form of B1 is non-toxic and can be taken orally and in larger dosages. Unlike ordinary B1 it will not flush out of the body. It remains available in your blood stream for your body to use to treat your neuropathy symptoms. Diabetics using Benfotiamine have reported a lessening of their symptoms within 4 to 7 days with no side effects.