As we head into the time of changing leaves and temperature, there also comes the vulnerability to catch inflammation of various sorts. A study published in Biological Psychiatry showed that, “…that mindfulness meditation training, compared to relaxation training, reduces Interleukin-6, an inflammatory (inflammation promoting) health biomarker, in high-stress, unemployed community adults.” Study further states that mindfulness training reduces inflammatory response by altering certain connectivity among various parts of the brain allowing it to manage stress and its consequent corrosive side-effects in the body more efficiently. Similar findings were also reported in the journal of Brain, Behavior and Immunity where markers of inflammation were reduced among heavy and heavier participants in a workplace.
Another study have also indicated that Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction worked better in modulating the chronic inflammations due to psychological stressors as compared to Health Enhancement program (HEP). Furthermore, a study published in Cancer showed that, “A brief, mindfulness-based intervention demonstrated preliminary short-term efficacy in reducing stress, behavioral symptoms, and pro-inflammatory signaling in younger breast cancer survivors”.
From the perspective of science, so far results are reasonably supportive of the notion that regular and consistent practice of mindfulness meditation has restorative, recuperative, regenerative and anti-inflammation properties (by reducing expression of pro-inflammatory genes in older adults). Based on the available evidence, it looks like that inflammation in the body, which is often a precursor to other health challenges, responds positively to mindfulness practice.
Take time to sit folks!
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