Following these two things can significantly lower risk of Diabetes: Study

A systematic yoga course, together with regular lifestyle adjustments, can considerably reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes when compared to only implementing the latter. This was discovered in a study published in Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Review.

The data revealed that "18.9% of individuals with prediabetes receiving lifestyle measures alone developed diabetes" by the conclusion of the research. In contrast, when yoga was combined with lifestyle changes, the percentage of people who developed diabetes was significantly lower, at "11.5% of individuals who received yoga along with lifestyle measures".

The study's lead investigator, V Madhu from GTB Hospital, stated that the findings indicated that a combination of yoga and lifestyle adjustments was more beneficial in preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes than depending exclusively on lifestyle interventions.


The worldwide and Indian burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is enormous. More than 77 million individuals in India have diabetes, with an even larger number suffering from prediabetes, which puts them at a much higher risk of acquiring T2D. The current study sought to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of yoga in lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The study recruited 974 people aged 30 to 70 who had a body mass index of at least 23 kg/m2. They were randomly divided into two groups: 488 participants in the "yoga + lifestyle group-group 1" and 486 participants in the "lifestyle alone group-group 2". Researchers found that yoga was notably beneficial for those with Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) or HbA1c levels of 6% or above.

Yoga has been proven to be useful in stress management, lowering depression and anxiety in healthy people, considerably improving scores on several psychological tests in type 2 diabetes patients, and positively regulating HPA.

Yoga asanas have also been shown to alter gene expression, resulting in enhanced muscle activity, strength, endurance, and flexibility, all of which have a positive affect on obesity and insulin resistance. Improved blood flow to the muscles and muscle relaxation are thought to boost glucose absorption.

[With TOI inputs]