A magic pill to control blood sugar spikes? 40-minute yoga can reduce diabetes risk, says study

A 40-minute yoga practice every day can reduce your risk of getting diabetes by nearly 40 per cent, showing better results than lifestyle intervention or drugs alone could achieve, according to a recently published study from five centres in India.

The study looked at whether yoga could prevent progression to Type 2 diabetes among individuals who were already diagnosed with pre-diabetes, a person with higher than normal blood glucose levels but not enough to be considered to have diabetes. There are an estimated 101 million people living with diabetes in the country, with another 136 million living with pre-diabetes, most of whom are likely to progress to diabetes without substantial lifestyle changes.

Dr SV Madhu, the first author of the study and professor in the department of endocrinology at Delhi’s GTB hospital, said: “We were able to demonstrate that yoga was much more effective at reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes as compared to lifestyle changes alone. In fact, the gains are much more even when compared to lifestyle intervention and drugs shown in other studies. While determining the mechanism of action was not the purpose of the study, it is hypothesised that yoga has additional benefit as it can lower chronic psychological stress. It is also thought to be an immune modulator that can reduce the inflammation and oxidative stress, resulting in lower risk for diabetes.”

What is the advice for healthy adults?
Dr Madhu says those who have a higher risk of developing diabetes — such as people with family history or those who are obese — are likely to reap the benefits of yoga. “It is suggested that they practice yoga for 40 minutes every day to keep diabetes at bay,” he adds.

Will yoga help people with diabetes?
While the current study does not demonstrate the effect of yoga on those who already have diabetes, Dr Madhu says that it is likely to help them as well. “Other short-term studies on impact of yoga on diabetes have already shown reduction in blood glucose levels, so it is likely that yoga can help people with diabetes keep their sugar levels in check,” he says.

Why is the study important?
Dr Madhu explains that the study is key evidence in favour of yoga. “Our study is a proper randomised control trial with nearly 500 participants in both groups — yoga along with lifestyle intervention and lifestyle intervention alone. The study participants have also been followed up for a period of three years,” he says, clarifying that other evidence so far has been from smaller studies with no control groups. He also explains that the evidence from previous studies have shown a much lower risk reduction — between 28 per cent and 32 per cent — with lifestyle interventions and even medication to keep blood sugar levels in check.