Diabetes is one of the fastest-spreading "silent killers" in today's society. Once a rare illness seen only in the elderly, diabetes is now targeting younger and younger people, putting anyone above 25 at risk.

The organs that diabetes affects are the skin, nervous system, eyes and the kidneys. After 20 years of diabetes, most diabetics are rendered nearly blind, and complain of substantial damage to either nerves or kidneys.

Since a pathbreaking study in 2003 from the University of Essex, scientists have realized that diabetics suffer from extreme deficiencies of thiamine. The cause for this is not known, but thiamine - or its synthetic equivalent, Benfotiamine - has been found to lessen or even reverse kidney and nerve damage in diabetics. It is also helpful for people suffering from cystic breast disease.

Benfotiamine, as a supplement, has a few advantages over naturally occurring thiamine. Unlike thiamine, it is fat-soluble rather than water-soluble, which makes it easier to absorb for the body. Also, it is independent of the body's sugar-metabolizing mechanism, so it continues to work even when diabetes is under control.

Kidney disease can be absolutely devastating, especially for diabetics. If it progresses to a stage where dialysis is required, it will make life extremely difficult both functionally and financially. Now that it can be controlled by something as cheap, safe, non-allergenic and widely available as thiamine, diabetics will be able to lead healthy lives for longer and longer durations.

Thiamine can be obtained naturally in the diet from raw vegetables and pork, as well as from whole grains. However, cooking tends to destroy most of the thiamine content of foods, while eating pesticide-riddled crops raw is not considered safe. This makes the need for thiamine supplements even more acute, especially for people whose capacity to absorb the vitamin has diminished. Apart from diabetics, alcoholics and pregnant or lactating women may also benefit from these supplements.

Diabetes is primarily a malfunction of the body's metabolism. This means that it is usually accompanied by several vitamin deficiencies, which can lead to disastrous physical effects. The primarily problem is that keeping blood sugar levels under control - whether through diet, medication or insulin - does not solve the problems in absorption that slowly kill the diabetic. This is why a diet rich in trace nutrients should be maintained at all costs - a cost that most cannot bear unless they resort to packaged supplements.

While benfotiamine can greatly increase the span and quality of a diabetic's life, do not forget that the best way to keep this disease in check is to diet and exercise regularly. Many young people find that their diabetes(especially type II) stays in check as long as they follow healthy lifestyles. For older people, medication and supplements may be necessary, but exercise is the best way to slow the progress of the disease.