Yoga for Diabetes
Practicing yoga, as we know, is very beneficial for health in many aspects. Help to physical and mental, not only allowing us feel much better physically, but also relieving stress very effectively. Apart from these benefits, yoga can help improve the health of people with diabetes as it helps to improve control of blood sugar.
While research relating to practice yoga with diabetes (and its positive effects, of course) have had mixed results, some studies suggest that adding yoga to the routine care can be helpful in the management of diabetes. To date, a rather limited number of studies have tested the effects of yoga in people with diabetes.
The available research includes a report of 2008, which scientists analyzed five clinical trials (a total of 363 participants) on the use of yoga to control type 2 diabetes. Although they found that practicing yoga may benefit some people with diabetes, the report of the authors of the study is inconclusive results (in part by defects in the design of the study).
In another study, published in 2009, 35 people with type 2 diabetes took part in a yoga camp for 40 days. At the end of the study participants showed a very significant reduction in body mass index and improved general welfare. This study also showed that yoga helps to relieve anxiety.
Findings of other small studies indicated that yoga may benefit patients with diabetes in several ways: by lowering body fat, helping to control blood sugar levels, fighting with insulin resistance and improve nerve function.
Beyond these studies, it is still early to recommend the practice of yoga to control diabetes. Obviously practice can provide many benefits to the health of patients with diabetes, but use yoga as a substitute for routine care of patients with diabetes can bring with it serious health consequences. Either way yoga is safe and is proven to help mental and physical well-being, be patient with diabetes or not.