Suresh Chander and Dr. Bandana Talukdar are with the Biochemistry Laboratory, Central Research Institute for Yoga (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare) and Biochemistry Department of the Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi

In this short article the authors explain the role of Yoga in controlling Hyperglycemia in middle-aged patients of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The effect of 40 days of yoga training in 30 hospitalized NIDDM patients has been investigated after stopping the medication. Blood glucose response to oral glucose load measured as area index total (AIT) glycated haemoglobin (GHb) plasma lipids and lipoproteins measurements before and after yoga training have been compared. Yoga training resulted in a significant improvement in AIT, GHb and plasma triglycerides and cholesterol levels.
Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is a common disorder of glucose homeostasis. It is a major public health problem with 8-10% of adults either having NIDDM or destined to develop this disease. Changes in diet, life style and increased stress are the factors attributed to the increased prevalence of NIDDM in migrated Indians and people in developed countries. These studies indicate that the maintenance of traditional dietary and living pattern should get high priority in national health care programmes of developing countries. Yoga has always been an essential part of life and a traditional system of treatment in the Indian subcontinent. There have been a few reports on blood glucose lowering effect of yoga practice in diabetes. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of controlled yoga training - 40 days - programme on glucose tolerance, glycated haemoglobin, plasma lipids and lipoproteins in 30 NIDDM patients.

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Physical exercise are known to improve glucose tolerance in NIDDM patients, but this change is associated with weight loss. Recently, it has been demonstrated that a controlled relaxation training alone induced a significant decrease in blood glucose levels in both type I and type 2 diabetes mellitus, however, many studies have indicated that abnormalities in plasma lipids and lipoproteins persist even in well controlled NIDDM patients. Yoga training applied in the present study cannot be equated with usual physical exercises as indicated in no change in BMI. The various components of yoga training are:

• visceral cleansing
• maintenance of static body postures
• relaxation
• breath control and a positive attitude.

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In the present study the patients were hospitalized, with no change in the calorie intake. Therefore, it can be reasonably presumed that the improved glucose and lipid metabolism as indicated by the changes in AIT, GHb, TG and TC and HDL-C were induced by yoga practice on isocaloric vegetarian diet. The decrease in WHR indirectly indicates an improvement in insulin resistance and protection against risk of cardiovascular complications in diabetes. In conclusion, it is suggested that yoga in combination with conventional medical treatment may provide better metabolic control in NIDDM patients and may also have a role in primary prevention of NIDDM.

Bibliography
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Jain, S.C. Uppal, B. Bhatnagar, S.O.D. and Talukdar, B. (1993). A study of response pattern of non-insulin dependent diabetics to yoga therapy. Diabetes Care. Clin. Practice. 19, 69-74.
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Banerjee, M.A. Chaiken, R.L, Gorden, D. Krol, J.G. and Lobevitz, H.E. (1995). Does intra-abdominal adipose tissue in Black Men determine whether NIDDM’s insulin resistant or insulin sensitive. Diabetes 44, 141-146.
Reproduced from the Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry, 1995.

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