Believing In God May Prevent Diabetes, Says Controversial Research

A healthier lifestyle is always recommended in combating diabetes. But a new study seemed to have found another alternative in keeping the disease at bay – by believing in God.

According to a recent research published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, having faith in God and believing that a higher being created humans and has authority over them motivates those who suffer from the disease to live a healthier lifestyle.

The assurance that God takes care of His people is enough for sufferers to come up with a healthier diet and adapt it with their partners, wrote The Daily Mail.

Researchers from The Florida State University studied 87 couples, one of whom has Type 2 Diabetes.

They then quantified the couples' religious attitude towards God's as positive or negative as well as glycemic control activities such as maintenance of planned diet through a series of survey questions.

Results showed "spousal engagement in shared activities is significantly associated with glycemic control."

It meant that those who have a partner who believe in God even if the diabetic patient is not a believer, have a higher chance of keeping with the planned diet to keep the patient's sugar levels low and controlled.

While faith in God does not cure the disease, the researchers espoused the idea that "religious coping and shared glycemic control activities" could be helpful in managing Type 2 diabetes to prevent it from getting worse.

However, The Diabetes Times editor Oliver Jelley warned against the new study.

"We urge caution over the findings of this controversial research," Jelley told the online news outlet. "All medical knowledge should be based on established research."

Earlier this year, another study published on the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition said that drinking black tea may prevent diabetes in both healthy and pre-diabetic adults after consumption of sugary drinks.