Research highlights benefits of yoga in improving diabetes control

Mon, 22 May 2017

Blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes could be improved after just ten days of practicing yoga, a study has found.

New research carried out by an Indian university dedicated to yoga called S-VYASA also suggests that regularly practising the discipline could result in people with type 2 diabetes having less reliance on diabetes medications.

Blood glucose levels fell by ten per cent in those who had practised yoga for ten straight days and been to seminars about yoga and diabetes, according to the study published in the journal Diabetes &Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research &Reviews.

Lead researcher on the study Dr Venugopal Vijayakumar said: "Even one session of yoga has led to a reduction in blood glucose levels. In the current study, visible changes could be seen within ten days of continuous practice. However, we recommend regular practice of yoga at least for three months to show an improvement in the glycemic control of people with diabetes.

"Our research showed that yoga helps with better glycaemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. This was a large-scale community-based study performed with more than 1,000 diabetes patients from different socio-economic statuses, education, cultural backgrounds and age groups."

Dr Venugopal believes the increased blood glucose control was not just down to the physical side of yoga, adding: "Yoga has been shown to bring about a reduction in stress hormones, inflammation and oxidative stress, so reducing insulin resistance."

A total of 1,292 people were studied, with participants either having type 2 diabetes or being at high risk of the condition. The researchers recorded their blood sugar levels both before and after they practised yoga.

Dr Venugopal said that people needed to do yoga as part of their daily routine to get the real benefits but also said that completing 45 minutes of yoga five days a week could also be beneficial