You are right. It is B1. However, only Benfotiamine, a long-lasting *synthetic* version of Vitamin B1 seems to help prevent diabetic complications.

Dietary and standard supplementation doesn't seem to be enough to keep up with the need in diabetic patients.

You can order benfortiamine online. Please note that while no major side effects have been noted *as far as I know*, safe and effective doses have not been firmly established.

Likely this works by decreasing inflammation and/or increasing anti-oxidant levels and/or decreasing AGE formation.