"Gentle yoga classes may help people with type  diabetes take off a small amount of weight and steady their blood sugar control a small study suggests.  People perform yoga during a gathering calling for world peace at Ibirapuera Park in Sao Paulo August  . REUTERSNacho Doce The study of  middleaged and older adults found that those who added yoga classes to standard diabetes care shed a handful of pounds over three months. Meanwhile their average blood sugar levels held steady  in contrast to the nonyogapracticing control group whose blood sugar levels rose.  The findings reported in the journal Diabetes Care do not suggest that yoga should replace other forms of exercise for people with type  diabetes  a disease commonly associated with obesity.  To really lose weight and rein in blood sugar morevigorous exercise would work better according to Shreelaxmi V. Hegde of the Srinivas Institute of Medical Science and Research Center in Mangalore India.  Among the  study participants who took yoga classes several times a week the average BMI  a measure of weight in relation to height  declined from . to .. A BMI between  and  is considered overweight.  In our study the effect of yoga on BMI body mass index and blood sugar control was marginal Hegde the lead researcher on the work told Reuters Health in an email.  But she added it should be noted that yoga controlled the blood sugar levels which otherwise rose in the control group.  In addition to that the study found signs of socalled oxidative stress declined in the yoga group.  Oxidative stress refers to a situation where levels of reactive oxygen species or free radicals  damaging byproducts of energy use in cells  rise beyond the bodys capacity to neutralize them. Longterm oxidative stress is believed to contribute to a host of chronic diseases.  In this study Hegdes team measured participants blood levels of certain chemicals that reflect oxidative stress. They found that on average the yoga groups levels of the chemicals dipped by  percent.  The significance of that is not clear. Hegde said that if such a decline in oxidative stress were sustained over time it might lower the chances of diabetes complications which include heart and kidney disease nerve damage and damage to the blood vessels of the eyes.  Further longterm studies are needed to see whether that is the case the researchers say.  According to Hegde yoga may curb oxidative stress because it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system  the part of the nervous system that basically acts as a brake against the gas pedal of the sympathetic nervous system.  There are caveats. The yoga used in this study was a gentle form Hegde said and parts of the practice were adapted for people who had additional health problems certain poses were avoided in people who had heart disease for example.  In the real world yoga classes vary widely. Some are vigorous workouts involving complicated poses that would not be appropriate for older adults with chronic health conditions.  Older adults with diabetes can look for yoga classes designed specifically for older people and those with chronic medical conditions. In the U.S. hospitals and local community centers are increasingly offering such classes.  SOURCE bit.lyqJGXZ httpbit.lyqJGXZ Diabetes Care online August  ."