Diabetes Mellitus viz Madhumeh has become a national and global matter of concern. India has already gained the crown of becoming diabetic capital of the world as more than 3 crores of Indian are facing the wrath of this metabolic disease. Industrialization and development in every sphere has given us many things which have raised our economic status but it has also given excessive comforts, readymade foods, drinks and of course more stress. Our economy, which was earlier dependent on villages and farming, now depend upon industries and its 24 hours duty workers. Changing life styles and never ending race for getting more and more has added many new disorders in human beings. Diabetes, Hypertension, Gout, Hyperlipidaemia, Anxiety, Insomnia to name a few, have changed the medical epicenter. People of today's world are loosing their health for wealth and thereafter they go on loosing their wealth for maintenance of health. Ayurveda has stated very early that Diabetes is basically a lifestyle disorder which usually victimizes the people who have sedentary life style, prefers to sit and enjoy comforts and prefers to have high energy diet like milk, milk products & sweets. Further Ayurveda has stated that it is not an easily curable disorder. That is why the path for curing disease is still dark. The journey which started from Acharya Charak who observed the Ants reaching for sweet urine to today, the making of human insulin injections is still going on.  

Management of Diabetes Mellitus: Ayurvedic Medicine and yoga has an edge for treating this dreadful disease, as neither oral drugs nor the insulin is the answer to this problem. Consumption and relying on drugs will go on increasing unless the main point or the causative factors are brought under control. Right from the daily food habits, stress and changed life style, there are many loop holes in the management, which could be filled by Alternative Medicine and Yoga.
According to Ayurvedic Management, diabetic patient must follow proper diet regimen i.e. Pathya and proper life style Vihara along with Ayurvedic Medicines. Apart from pharmacological management, yoga and diet play a very important role. Green leafy vegetables such as Methi, Bittergourd (Kerela), Bottlegourd (lauki), Spinach (Palak), Peas etc and fruits like Amla, Jamun, Citrus fruits along with sprouts and Mixed Flour are useful for the diabetics. Use of mustard oil and plenty of roughage play anchoring role to keep sugar status in optimum level.
Another important aspect in management of Diabetes is regular exercise and the simplest being daily walking for at least 30 minutes a day and remains active through out the day. There after some yogic postures like Ardhamatsyendrasana, Dhanurasana and Sarvangasana are recommended in diabetics. They keep control over mind and there is better compliance of diet and exercise. Regular and constant practice leads to clearance of all waste and harmful products of our body, improves digestion and absorption of food. It also leads to positive mental and spiritual health by replacing the violent, negative emotions of fear, tension, anxiety by soft emotions of divine love, sympathy and pardon. It also teaches us the trick of working without stress.
Role of Pranayam
Thereafter Pranayam is also a boon to improve vitality of the diabetics. As in diabetics, due to regular glucose stress there is constant wear and tear of body cells. Every cell of the body, every system of our body has to take the burden of increased sugar level. By practicing Pranayam we can increase the oxygenation of each and every cells which leads to delaying of aging and normalizing the Immune system. Further, the Stress factor in diabetes is also controlled by this.
Thus in all, it could be summarized that, with proper guidance of Ayurvedic physician and Yoga expert, this sweet killer can be managed as better as any other disease. But a never-ending Will to fight, should be present in diabetics.
Dr. Gagan Thakur
MD (Kayachikitsa)
Lecturer (Deptt. of Swasthvritta)
Dayanand Ayurvedic College, Jalandhar
Mob. 094632-92149