Post #4124816

💊 A viral video calls benfotiamine (fat-soluble vitamin B1) a "revolutionary" anti-inflammatory breakthrough. The real story is more complicated. The video references a real June 2026 study where researchers used computational drug repurposing to identify benfotiamine as a P2Y14R antagonist. P2Y14R is a genuine inflammatory target. The study tested it in mice with colitis and gouty arthritis and reported positive results. But here's what the video leaves out: 1. The study is preclinical (mice + computer models), with 0 citations. "Revolutionary" is a stretch. 2. Multiple human RCTs found NO anti-inflammatory effect. A 24-month trial (300mg/day) in Type 1 diabetics showed no change in inflammatory markers. A 12-week trial (900mg/day) in diabetic nephropathy found no effect on inflammation. The BOND study (12 months, 600mg/day) found no effect on neuropathy outcomes. 3. The creator, Dr. Rick Pescatore, founded BellyMD, a supplement company selling benfotiamine products. This financial relationship is not disclosed in the video. Benfotiamine is real, safe, and inexpensive. The preclinical anti-inflammatory science is genuine. But human trials have not confirmed the anti-inflammatory claims, and the "breakthrough" framing serves a product the creator sells. Read more: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3329837/ https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0040427 https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjdrc-2025-005773 #science #medicine #supplements