What is Doctor’s Best Benfotiamine? Benfotiamine (S-benzoylthiamine-O-monophosphate) is a synthetic derivative of thiamin (Vitamin B1) belonging to the family of compounds known as allithiamines. Benfotiamine is fat-soluble and more bioavailable and physiologically active than thiamin. Benfotiamine helps maintain healthy cells in the presence of blood glucose, provides support against oxidative stress, and supports healthy aging. How does it work? Benfotiamine raises the blood level of thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP), the biologically active coenzyme of thiamin, and stimulates transketolase, a cellular enzyme essential for maintenance of normal glucose metabolic pathways. Benfotiamine can greatly improve thiamin status, especially in comparison with regular forms of thiamin. In a randomized, double-blind crossover trial comparing bioavailability of benfotiamine to that of thiamin mononitrate (the most common supplemental form of vitamin B1) in 12 individuals, benfotiamine caused an average 5-fold greater increase in blood thiamin levels than thiamin mononitrate, with a concomitant greater thiamin concentration in red blood cells. Benfotiamine is converted to S-benzoylthiamin (through removal of the O-monophosphate by the digestive tract), which readily passes through intestinal cells and is converted into thiamin. Why take Best Benfotiamine? Benfotiamine is fat-soluble and more bioavailable and physiologically active than thiamin. Benfotiamine helps maintain healthy cells in the presence of blood glucose, provides support against oxidative stress, and supports healthy aging. Benfotiamine helps maintain healthy glucose metabolism by increasing blood and tissue levels of thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), the biologically active co-enzyme form of thiamine.TPP acts as a co-enzyme for three critical enzymes involved in glucose metabolism: 1) transketolase, 2) pyruvate dehydrogenase, and 3) a-ketogutarate decarboxylase. The latter two enzymes are involved in utilizing glucose for fuel. Thus, TTP is vital to the cell’s energy supply.
