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Merville C. Marshall, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.E Responds:
Merville C. Marshall Jr., MD, FACP, FACE, founder and president of the Endocrine Institute, in White Plains, New York, responds: Yoga originated in India as a spiritual discipline but is now a popular health and fitness practice worldwide. Recent studies have concluded that yoga can be helpful for people with diabetes. In a 2004 study, 24 patients with diabetes practiced supervised yoga for 30 to 40 minutes daily for 40 days. The result: After their yoga regimens, the study participants showed a significant drop in mean fasting glucose from 190 mg/dL to 141 mg/dL, and postmeal blood glucose decreased slightly as well.
Glycosylated hemoglobin A1C levels (a marker for blood glucose over a period of two to three months) also decreased from 9% to 7.8%. Though the yoga-study participants' measures were still above recommended levels, the changes noted were significant. The study found that one of the most beneficial aspects of yoga is performing asana—a series of different postures that are held for various lengths of time. It is important to have experienced supervision and to work toward performing a series of 13 different postures during a 30- to 40-minute period. Some of the more vigorous kinds of yoga can provide an additional aerobic benefit that may be beneficial to individuals with or without diabetes. Yoga is just one form of exercise or stress management that may offer help toward improving glucose control in people with diabetes.
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Merville C. Marshall, Jr.
M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.E
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