Marmite helps heart attack victims live longer
By IANSTuesday, December 7, 2010
LONDON - Heart attack victims can now boost their chances of survival, thanks to a vitamin B1 derivative found in foods such as marmite.
Marmite is a type of thick, dark brown spread. The savory spread, with a strong and distinctive flavour, is made from a concentrated yeast sludge, a byproduct of the beer brewing process.
Separate research found that the substance, called benfotiamine, can prevent heart failure as a complication of diabetes, reports the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology.
The discoveries mean a supplement containing benfotiamine could become part of diabetes treatment, according to the Daily Mail.
Vitamin B1 is also known as thiamin and is found in common foods such as marmite, milk, cheese, eggs, dried and fresh fruits and wholegrain breads.
Both studies were conducted by a team from Bristol University in Britain. They gave benfotiamine to mice, some of which had diabetes.
Researchers found that the treatment “markedly improved the survival of both non-diabetic and diabetic mice”, compared to those not given benfotiamine.
In a separate study, the team found that treating diabetic mice with benfotiamine from the early stages of the condition could delay progression to heart failure.
