It's not too late. Experts believe yoga can control & reverse mild diabetes

Living with diabetes, a chronic metabolic condition, is a challenging lifestyle. The lives of diabetics revolve around routine check-ups, timely medication and strict dietary restrictions.

The condition develops when the pancreas fails to generate enough insulin or when the body's insulin is ineffectively used. Insulin is a hormone that our bodies require for glucose to be absorbed by cells and energy to be created for regular body function.

Patients with diabetes have to be aware of numerous aspects such as body weight, sedentary lifestyle and bad eating habits which are all key risk factors for the condition. Diabetes risk and severity are also increased by psychological stress.


Yoga, a traditional form of exercise combined with breathing techniques and meditation, is known for balancing and harmonising the body, mind and emotions.

Dr Subrata Das, Senior Consultant – Internal Medicine and Diabetology at Sakra World Hospital, shared how yoga can help in controlling and reversing mild diabetes. He said that there has been increasing evidence suggesting that yoga practice tackles diabetes when it is yet mild and later also helps in controlling its complications.

Regular yoga practice is widely known for its ability to relieve stress, increase mobility, lower blood pressure, and promote general health, which eventually might also lead to the reversal of mild diabetes. Yoga and other mind-body therapies are seen to be a viable alternative in the treatment and prevention of diabetes, with findings from multiple studies showing that yoga and other mind-body treatments can reduce stress-related hyperglycemia and improve blood glucose control.

Controlling mental stress (stress management) is one of the key factors in the treatment of diabetes. When a person with diabetes is stressed, their blood sugar levels are most likely to increase, and elevated blood sugar levels increase the chances of serious complications such as heart disease.

How yoga can help diabetics:

• Pancreatic cell rejuvenation: Yoga asanas (relaxation postures) stretch the pancreas, which can increase the formation of insulin-producing beta cells
• Increasing glucose uptake by muscular cells: Yoga, like other types of exercise, increases glucose uptake by muscular cells, which helps to lower blood sugar levels, improve circulation, and lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease
• Promoting weight loss: Yoga aids in weight loss and improves weight control, which is both important to prevent diseases including type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, as well as diabetic management
• Improving your mental attitude: Practicing yoga regularly will improve the mind to focus better and develop a proper mental attitude for coping with diabetes. Yoga also promotes better blood circulation and relieves stress, which is a key contributing factor to becoming diabetic

Divya Rolla, Yoga and Meditation Lead at health and fitness platform Cult.fit, also joined the conversation. She said that practising yoga daily can help with the management of various lifestyle diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes adversely affects the quality of life, but yoga can help attain glycaemic control in individuals and reduces the overall risk of complications in diabetics.

Practices such as asanas, pranayama, mudras, bandha, meditation, mindfulness, and relaxation are also known to reduce blood glucose levels and to help in the management of comorbid disease conditions associated with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Stress is the root cause of 70-80 per cent of all our medical ailments. Psychological stress and negative mood have a bi-directional effect on the management of diabetes. Yoga strengthens parts of the brain that play a key role in memory, attention, awareness, thought and language. It's like weightlifting for the brain.

Asanas, combined with pranayama and meditation, combat stress at its source and eliminates it. Moreover, it provides a person with the tools to manage it for a lifetime. It works on both the body and the mind, and effectively reduces stress, thereby helping with diabetes control.

Six yoga asanas that will ensure fitness and ability for patients with low blood glucose levels:
Viparita Karani: This restorative inversion allows for relaxation. This helps lower stress levels, which may in turn help lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels. It can also help relieve headaches, boost energy, and increase circulation.

Supta Baddakonasana: This is a restorative pose that can help calm your nervous system. This pose can also help reduce your stress levels, which may help lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels. It’s also thought to stimulate the abdominal organs, bladder, and kidneys.

Paschimottanasana: This pose is a therapeutic forward bend. In addition to lowering blood pressure and promoting weight loss, this pose may help relieve anxiety, headache, and fatigue.

Salamba Sarvangasana: This inversion may help improve circulation and stimulate the thyroid gland. It can also help calm the mind and relieve stress.

Ardha Matyendrasana: This twisting pose stimulates the abdominal organs, which may help lower blood sugar. It’s also thought to improve digestion and boost your energy levels.

Jathara Parivartanasana: This restorative twisting pose also helps stimulate the abdominal organs, which may help lower blood sugar levels. The pose may also help alleviate pain and stiffness in your spine, back, and hips.