01 Apr 2024 | Chin
Peripheral neuropathy (PN), a result of damage to the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves), often cause numbness and pain on hands and feet (“Peripheral neuropathy – Symptoms and causes”, 2020). For patients with diabetic foot ulcer, they cannot feel the pain sensation during the wound cleaning procedures due to damaged nerve.
A lack of B12 damages the myelin sheath that protects nerves, causing those nerves cells to cease to function properly and leads to PN ("Nutritional Causes of Peripheral Neuropathy | Vitamin Deficiency Neuropathy", 2020). Application of B12 promotes the regeneration of myelinated nerve fiber and proliferation of Schwann cells. However, the neuropathy associated with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is clinically similar to early diabetic neuropathy, with preferential injury to small nerve fibers resulting in pain and autonomic dysfunction. Neuropathy develops when there is high blood glucose level, therefore disrupts normal nerve functioning. Hyperglycemia or high blood glucose also damages the blood vessels, including the small vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the nerves, especially the endings near hands and feet.
Glucose Tolerance Factor controls the blood sugar levels from the earliest stages of diabetes, which is also one of the ways to prevent PN. By enhancing the insulin sensitivity and insulin signalling, the regulating of blood glucose level able to prevent as well as reduce the risk of nerve cells and fibers damage by over 50%, according to the Joslin Diabetes Center (“Reversing diabetic neuropathy: Glucose management, treatment, and more”, 2020).
Besides, having diabetes can increase the risk of B12 deficiency because it may be a side effect of metformin (“Diabetes and B-12: What You Need to Know”, 2020). By regulating the blood glucose level of diabetes patients, the B12 deficiency can be reduced.