As India is all set to become diabetes capital of the world, medicinal herbs besides disciplined lifestyle couple with yoga are increasingly being seen as an answer to tackle the menacing disorder caused by the absence of insulin. India is a treasure trove of over 7000 medicinal plants.
In this connection, a two-day national workshop is being held from November 14, 2019 wherein experts from across the country will come together to discuss the role of the Indian systems of medicine such as Ayurveda in tackling the lifestyle disease which is estimated to grip around 100 million Indians by 2030.
The event on November 14 (marked as World Diabetes Day) is being held at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in Delhi which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017. The institute has mandate to bring in the synergy between traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and modern diagnostic tools and technology.
A senior official from the AIIA said that the workshop aims to create awareness as well as showcase various scientific researches being undertaken and ongoing in the sector to prove the efficacy of the traditional medicine systems such as panchkarma and herbs in managing the ‘silent killer’. For instance, some of the CSIR labs like Lucknow-based National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and Central Institute for Medicinal Plants (CIAMP), both Lucknow based have jointly developed herbal product BGR-34.
It is a formulation of extracts of herbal plants like sadabahar, Vijayasar, gurmar, Dharuhedi, jamun and giloy whose properties to stimulate the production of insulin is well known. Dr AKS Rawat, ex-scientist from NBRI said that the BGR-34 has been found to have antioxidant properties, enhance immunity, help repair the pancreas and increase production of insulin within the body.
In a country like India, where more than Rs 500 crore rupees is spend on diabetes medicine and treatment each year, promoting researches in ayurveda is expected to have significant implications.
Experts warn that Type 2 diabetes can increase risk of complications such as high blood pressure, kidney ailments and stroke which in turn can impact the life expectancy of the
patient. Today, 425 million people live with diabetes worldwide - about 1 in every 11 adults - according to the International Diabetes Federation, and the number is rising.