Effect of Vaman dhauti (A Yogic Cleansing Technique) on Insulin Resistance in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multisystem metabolic condition induced by insulin resistance and decreased insulin production. In a low-middle-income nation like India, low-cost therapies that empower patients and build on available resources are needed to control diabetes. Hence, we have evaluated the feasibility and impact of Vaman dhauti (kriya yoga, i.e., a yogic cleansing technique) on insulin resistance and other outcomes in patients with T2DM. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 participants with T2DM were randomly allocated into kriya group ( n = 50) and control group ( n = 50). The kriya group underwent vaman dhauti twice a week for 2 weeks along with routine naturopathy treatments, and the control group underwent routine naturopathy treatments alone for the same period at a residential yoga and naturopathy medical college and hospital. Insulin resistance, Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), blood pressure (BP), and pulse rate (PR) were assessed before and after the intervention period. Pulse pressure (PP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), rate pressure product (RPP), and double product (Do-P) were derived by a standard formula. Results: Kriya yoga (vaman dhauti) participants had a significantly greater reduction in HOMA-IR after 2 weeks of intervention compared with the control group participants. Conclusions: Two weeks of vaman dhauti reduces HOMA-IR and plasma glucose level in patients with T2DM. This is the first study reporting the effects of vaman dhauti on altering the insulin resistance. However, further long-term studies with larger sample size are needed to validate the results of the study.