Glucose control is perhaps the most important task for those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and it seems that religion can help you do that.

Type 2 diabetes is generally caused by a lifestyle of poor diet and little exercise. Though the solution may seem simple (clean up your diet and start exercising), it proves to be difficult for many.

After all, so much of our culture is based on food.

The problem?

If diabetes patients do not control their glucose levels, serious health risks can follow. Major damage to the blood vessels can lead to heart disease, lowered cognitive functioning, amputation, and blindness.

As you can see, diabetes is way more serious than just avoiding sugary drinks.

But what are you supposed to do to motivate yourself along the way? Researchers are pointing to religion.

Religion Helps Glucose Control 

In a study recently published in Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, researchers examined the religious practices of couples with at least one diabetes diagnosis.

Specifically, they looked at religion as a coping mechanism during life’s greatest trials and tribulations, including diabetes.

The study focused on heterosexual couples of many ethnicities and religions.

Yup, that’s right: the religion was not the important detail in the study.

Instead, it merely depended on whether or not the couple relied on religion, of any belief system, in order to cope.

It’s not that simple, though. Couples who used religion to positively cope demonstrated improved glucose control. Couples who used religion to negatively cope demonstrated worsened glucose control.

The authors of the study measured coping strategies as positive and negative with RCOPE, a comprehensive assessment of religious coping.

So, what are positive coping strategies? Basically, couples who view God as an ally in their efforts to treat diabetes were positively coping.

Couples who negatively coped blamed God or accused God of abandoning them in their diagnosis.

While we certainly don’t expect that you pick up the most convenient religion you can to treat your diabetes, this study shed light on something important: coping strategies.

Rather than playing the victim in your diagnosis, realize that you do have some power in it. Use that power to change the things that you can so that you can have better control over your blood glucose.