“Many people with diabetes have found relief by incorporating yoga into their routine, and it can help at any stage.” – Jasmine Lieb
It is estimated that 30 million people in the United States have diabetes and the numbers are growing. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. It is estimated that worldwide around 3.5 million deaths per year are attributable to diabetes. In addition, diabetes is heavily associated with other diseases such as cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, and circulatory problems leading to amputations. As a result, diabetes doubles the risk of death of any cause compared to individuals of the same age without diabetes. Obviously, diabetes is a major health problem.
Type 2 diabetes is also known as adult onset diabetes, although it has recently surged in children. It involves not a lack of insulin but insulin resistance in tissues which become deficient in absorbing glucose from the blood. This results in high blood glucose levels. Most type 2 diabetes is preventable as it is associated with poor diet, overweight, and lack of exercise. Obviously, improved diet, exercise, and weight loss are helpful in treating type 2 diabetes.
Mindfulness practices have been shown to be effective for diabetes treatment (see http://contemplative-studies.org/wp/index.php/category/research-news/diabetes/) and yoga practice has been shown to help with weight control in diabetic patients (see http://contemplative-studies.org/wp/index.php/2015/08/24/control-weight-in-diabetes-with-yoga/). Since yoga is both a contemplative practice and an exercise, it would seem to be an excellent alternative practice for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It would seem especially appropriate for elderly diabetes patients as it has other benefits for the health of the elderly (see links below).
In today’s Research News article “Yogic practice and diabetes mellitus in geriatric patients”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3573543/
Beena and colleagues examined the effectiveness of yoga practice for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in 60 to 70 year olds. Yoga was practiced 90 minutes per day for 6 days a week for 3 months. The yoga group was compared to a treatment as usual control group. They found that the yoga group had a significant increase in blood glucose control as measured by plasma HbA1c and fasting glucose. Yoga also produced a significant improvement in blood fat levels including decreases in total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride and T.chol/HDL ratio and a significant increase in HDL cholesterol. There was also a significant decline in markers of stress in the yoga group including a decrease in the stress hormone, cortisol, and MDA, a marker of oxidative stress. There was also a significant increase in catalase, an antioxidant enzyme that protects against damage caused by free radicals in the yoga group. Finally, the yoga practice produced a decrease in Ferritin levels, a marker of inflammation. So, yoga practice was found to significantly improve plasma indicators of glucose control, blood fat levels, stress, and inflammation in elderly type 2 diabetes patients.
These results are impressive and strongly suggest that yoga practice is an excellent treatment for type 2 diabetes in the elderly. It produces major improvements in many different aspects of physical health in patients with diabetes. Yoga improves diabetes both by its exercise properties and also by its ability to reduce the physiological and psychological responses to stress. Since it is known to be safe, with few if any negative side effects, and also have other physical and psychological benefits, it would seem to be an ideal treatment.
So, improve diabetes with yoga.
“The yogic treatment restores the normal functioning of the pancreas and other glands of the endocrinal system. When these glands begin to function properly, the individual is fully cured of the diabetic disorders and his health is restored to normal level.” – Dr. Phulgenda Sinha
CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies
Yoga for the Elderly Links
Age Healthily – Yoga for Arthritis
http://contemplative-studies.org/wp/index.php/2015/08/14/age-healthily-yoga-for-arthritis/
Aging Healthily – Yoga and Cellular Aging
http://contemplative-studies.org/wp/index.php/2015/07/17/aging-healthily-yoga-and-cellular-aging/
Age Healthily – Protect the Brain with Yoga
http://contemplative-studies.org/wp/index.php/2015/07/17/age-healthily-protect-the-brain-with-yoga/
http://contemplative-studies.org/wp/index.php/2015/07/17/age-healthily-yoga/