Journal article questions the use of ayurvedic therapies for diabetes

A letter in a leading journal has sparked controversy by claiming that Indian alternative medicines for diabetes are “maximum hype, minimum science.”1

Published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology and targeting ayurvedic medicine, the letter stated that “there is scant scientific basis for the use of these products in the management of diabetes.” But proponents of ayurveda have defended the traditional therapy.

Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine practised in India. In 2014 the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) was set up by the Indian government to encourage research and education into these disciplines.

To evaluate whether ayurvedic medicines were effective and …