Vitamin B1, or thiamine, is a water-soluble vitamin. But one study found that a special fat-soluble form of vitamin B1, called benfotiamine, is very efficient in clearing advanced glycaton end-products (AGEs) from the body.

In the study, researchers prepared a high AGE-containing meal by cooking a mix of chicken, potatoes, and carrots in vegetable oil, and fed it to 13 adults with Type 2 diabetes.

By measuring blood vessel function, the researchers determined that AGEs profoundly interfered with the function of both larger arteries and of microscopic blood vessels.

However, subjects in the study who were given benfotiamine were completely protected from the AGEs.

Benfotiamine has been shown to reduce insulin resistance and act as an antioxidant. Because AGEs activate the release of C-reactive protein (CRP), they also promote inflammation.

The common form of vitamin B1, however, does not have the same effect.