Possibilities of Vitamin B1 in FA Patients by Kendall Harvey

A recent foreign study is creating a lot of buzz in the Friedreich’s Ataxia (F A) community.
“Injections of vitamin B1 improved several symptoms in patients with Friedreich’s ataxia and kept patients from deteriorating further over a two-year period, according to a recently published study.
While researchers caution that the results need to be verified, the findings open up the possibility of an entirely new way of approaching treatment in F A.”
“Without vitamin B1 in the central nervous system, numerous enzymes become unable to do their job. Recent studies also show that the vitamin, also called thiamine, may have other types of neuroprotective properties.”
“Studies also have indicated that vitamin B1 is low in the cerebrospinal fluid of Friedreich’s ataxia patients. A smaller study also found that treating patients with the vitamin for three months improved movement coordination, speech and swallowing while reducing fatigue.”