FIT WebQoof: No, Speaking Sanskrit Daily Will Not Prevent Diabetes

FIT WebQoof: No, Speaking Sanskrit Daily Will Not Prevent Diabetes

BJP MP Ganesh Singh said in the Lok Sabha that speaking Sanskrit daily can boost the nervous system and keep diabetes and cholesterol at bay.

The Claim

According to a PTI report, BJP MP Ganesh Singh said in the Lok Sabha that speaking Sanskrit daily can boost the nervous system and keep diabetes and cholesterol at bay.

Also Read: FIT Quiz: What Are Some Common Symptoms of Diabetes?

True or False?

Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman, National Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation (N-DOC), says,

Dr Anoop Misra“If instructions to do 45 minutes a day of exercise and restricted balanced diets are given in Sanskrit (or any other language), then yes diabetes could be prevented.”

The absurdity of the claim becomes clear when we understand what diabetes is.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar) level either due to inadequate insulin production or because the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. No language can prevent or cure a metabolic condition.

• Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent or juvenile-onset diabetes, is caused by the body's malfunction to produce insulin in the body, and requires the person to inject insulin.
• Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, at times, accompanied with a complete insulin deficiency. Diabetes of this kind can be prevented.

There is no way to prevent type 1 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), “Currently, no one knows how to prevent type 1 diabetes. Some people have certain genes (traits passed on from parent to child) that make them more likely to develop type 1 diabetes, though many won’t go on to have type 1 diabetes even if they have the genes. Being exposed to a trigger in the environment, such as a virus, is also thought to play a part in developing type 1 diabetes. Diet and lifestyle habits don’t cause type 1 diabetes.”

For type 2 diabetes, however, prevention is possible by following a healthy lifestyle. And like Dr Misra said, the language in which this message is conveyed to all does not have any role to play.

The Verdict

BJP MP Ganesh Singh’s claim, therefore, does not have any basis. Simply speaking a particular language cannot prevent a chronic metabolic disease. Exercising, eating right and maintaining a healthy body weight is the key to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Also Read: I’ll Die Without Insulin: How Rising Cost Is Affecting Diabetics