Conference on managing diabetes with Parkinson’s disease held

A national conference on ‘Mantras and Medicine: Managing Diabetics with Parkinson’s disease (M3DPD-2025)‘ was held at Srinivasa Ramanujan Centre (SRC), SASTRA, a Deemed University, Kumbakonam.

The conference, organised in association with Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) under the Vision Viksit Bharat 2047 initiative, brought together a dynamic confluence of traditional knowledge systems and modern medical research to address the growing challenges of diabetes and Parkinson’s Disease (PD).

The event focused on exploring the therapeutic potential of Vedic chanting, Siddha medicine, and herbal interventions like Costus igneus (commonly known as the insulin plant), alongside advancements in biomedical diagnostics and artificial intelligence.

Inaugurating the conference on May 14, former Vice-Chancellor of S-VYASA University, Bengaluru, and Vedic scholar Ramachandra G. Bhat emphasised the relevance of Veda-based therapies and ecological healing for chronic illnesses, especially neurological and metabolic conditions.

Over 50 papers, ranging from ethnobotanical studies, cell line research, clinical trial methodologies, and philosophical perspectives on healing from researchers from India and abroad were presented. Clinical insights into diabetes-PD comorbidity were presented by medical experts such as Parthasarathi, Preethi and Vijayalakshmi, according to a SASTRA release.

The conference, a part of an ongoing research project investigating traditional healing methods to manage chronic disorders, witnessed enthusiastic participation from student volunteers, research scholars, and faculty members. As part of the research project initiative, blood screening camps have already been conducted in rural districts of Tamil Nadu, identifying over 42 patients with diabetes and Parkinson’s for clinical study. Vedic chanting protocols and herbal intervention trials are scheduled to commence by June.

The conference reaffirmed the importance of India’s Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in shaping future models of integrative healthcare and opened doors for multi-disciplinary collaboration in addressing some of the most pressing health concerns of the modern age.

In his valedictory address, the Professor, Department of Oriental Studies and Research, SASTRA, S.Venugopalan underlined the necessity of integrating scriptural wisdom with evidence-based medicine for holistic well-being, the release added.

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