[CutePuppy]

In other words, this could reflect not simply a deficiency of thiamine which is plentiful in the routine diet as documented here, but its depletion as the body “tries” to rid itself of “excess glucose” that would get stored as fat. The authors have no evidence of which is at play here.

You are right, according to another article which seems more detailed than the one posted.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/health/6935482.stm - Diabetes problems 'vitamin link'

A simple vitamin deficiency may be the cause of many of the side effects of diabetes, a study suggests.

Researchers found people with the disease expelled thiamine - vitamin B1 - from their bodies at 15 times the normal rate in a study of 94 people.

The Warwick University team said thiamine helped ward off complications such as heart disease and eye problems, the Diabetologia journal said.

Not a cure, but can be a huge relief and improvement in quality of life.

[Frank Sheed]

That’s a great read. I hope folks on this board check it out. Thiamine is really inexpensive.