Incorporating Yoga into National Diabetes Prevention Strategies: Insights from Dr. Jitendra Singh
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New Delhi, Dec 13 (NationPress) The integration of yoga into national diabetes prevention strategies could be crucial in stopping the blood sugar condition from developing in those with prediabetes, stated Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, on Friday.
This statement was made during the release of a study conducted by the Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI), which highlighted the potential benefits of yoga in the prevention of Type-2 diabetes.
Published in the journal Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews, the study found that practicing a daily 40-minute yoga routine, which includes specific asanas and pranayama along with standard lifestyle changes, can decrease the risk of diabetes onset by roughly 40 percent.
According to the researchers, “These findings exceed the effectiveness of current diabetes prevention methods in the nation.”
With over 101 million individuals currently diagnosed with diabetes and an additional 136 million classified as prediabetic, the evidence-based findings of the study could be crucial in combating this growing epidemic, Singh noted, who is also a Professor of Medicine and a respected Diabetologist.
The research was conducted over a span of three years across five locations in India, involving nearly 1,000 prediabetic participants.
The team analyzed the results from the Indian Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), which achieved a 28 percent risk reduction through lifestyle adjustments, as well as another study that combined lifestyle changes with gradual medication (metformin), which reported a 32 percent reduction.
“The effectiveness of yoga in this study surpassed both, proving its superiority as an independent preventive tactic,” the researchers stated.
“These findings could be a potential ‘game changer’ for the healthcare framework in India and reaffirm the significance of yoga, an ancient Indian practice, in addressing contemporary health issues,” Singh remarked.
“This study distinguishes itself as the first comprehensive, long-term trial to scientifically substantiate the effectiveness of yoga in diabetes prevention,” he added, advocating for the need to “incorporate yoga into national diabetes prevention policies to realize extensive public health advantages.”
The study was carried out by a distinguished group of RSSDI members including Prof S.V. Madhu, Head of the Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University College of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, Prof H.B. Chandalia, Former Head at Grant Medical College in Mumbai and currently Head of the Diabetes Endocrine Nutrition Management and Research Centre in Mumbai, Dr. Arvind Gupta from the Manilek Research Centre in Jaipur, among others.
