Singapore has potential to be centre for research in Ayurvedic medicines for diabetes: Experts

Singapore, October 31

Singapore, with growing number of pharmaceutical multinationals, has the potential of becoming a centre for further research in Ayurvedic medicines for the benefits of diabetic patients globally including more than 100 million in India, health experts said on Saturday.

More Ayurveda medicine research can be done in Singapore to establish the phytochemical components of such herbs to enhance the efficacy in herbal production and storage, said Charles Chow, managing director of East-West Group, a multi-disciplinary business consultancy.

Export-oriented Ayurvedic pharmaceutical companies from India can be a good source of higher-grade herbs for use in research work here, added Chow.

Treatment processes can be administered by prescribed ayurvedic practitioners approved by the health authorities in Singapore, according to Chow, who pointed out the growing use of ayurvedic medicine and popularity of its practioners in Singapore.

“Perhaps standard procedures already proven in India can be replicated in Singapore during the research work and trials,” he added, underlining the need to further the administration of Ayurveda medicines to diabetics.

Ayurveda medicines can be taken as an alternative way to control diabetes, or as a complement to medication (e.g. insulin or metaformin) used by Western medicine, to prevent deterioration that result in more complications, he elaborated. Chow is working with ALR Technologies Inc (ALRT), a 1988-listed company in the United States, which is offering its diabetes solution for monitoring blood glucose levels. ALR Technologies has relocated to Singapore for the Asian markets including India.

ALRT Diabetes Solution was launched in Singapore on Saturday.

“We will soon be exploring ways to reach out to the world's largest markets such as India,” he said, pointing to the growing number of wealthy people turning diabetic due to rich diets.

Chow estimates 450 million people suffering from diabetics worldwide, half of which are in Asia.

ALRT is collaborating with Diabetes Singapore to develop a diabetes management programme for its current and prospective members. Diabetes Singapore, a charity founded in 1971, is a member of the International Diabetes Federation, Western Pacific Region.

The number of Singapore residents living with diabetes is projected to increase to close to one million by 2050 if nothing is done, said Satyaprakash Tiwari, Executive Director of Diabetes Singapore.

The latest edition of the International Diabetes Federation's Diabetes Atlas lists Singapore as having the highest diabetes prevalence amongst developed countries, overtaking the US, Japan, Finland, Taiwan and Hong Kong, said Tiwari. PTI

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