Yoga and meditation may do
more than just help you feel relaxed in the moment. A new scientific review
suggests that these and other mindfulness exercises can actually reverse
stress-related changes in genes linked to poor health and depression.
In the new paper, published in Frontiers
in Immunology, British researchers analyzed the findings from 18
previously published studies—involving a total of 846 people—on the biological
effects of meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, Qi gong and Tai Chi.
Together, the authors say, the studies show that these mind-body exercises
appear to suppress the expression of genes and genetic pathways that promote
inflammation.
Inflammation can temporarily boost the immune system, and can be
protective against infection and injury, the authors write in their paper. But
in today’s society, in which stress is primarily psychological, the body’s
inflammatory response can become chronic and can impair both physical and
mental health.
Researchers found that people who practiced these activities
regularly had fewer signs of inflammation, including a decrease in their
production of inflammatory proteins. This signals “the reversal of the molecular
signature of the effects of chronic stress,” they wrote, which may translate to
a reduced risk of inflammation-related diseases and conditions.
Environment and lifestyle can both affect which genes are turned on and off, and that can have real
effects on disease risk, longevity and even which traits get passed on to future generations. Stressful events,
for example, can activate the fight-or-flight response and trigger a chain
reaction of stress-related changes in the body—including activating specific
genes involved in making proteins that produce inflammation.
Lead author Ivana Buric, a PhD student in Coventry University’s
Brain, Belief and Behaviour Lab in England, says her team was surprised to see
that different types of mind-body techniques had such similar effects at the
genetic level. “Sitting meditation is quite different than yoga or Tai Chi,”
she said in an email, “yet all of these activities—when practiced
regularly—seem to decrease the activity of genes involved in inflammation.”
This is a relatively new field of research, she adds, and it’s
likely that similar benefits could be obtained from other lifestyle
changes like healthy eating and exercise. There aren’t yet
enough studies to know how activities like yoga compare to other types of
physical activity in terms of altering gene expression.
Buric says the existing studies suggest that mind-body
interventions “cause the brain to steer our DNA processes along a path which
improves our well being.” She also emphasizes that inherited genes are not
static and that DNA activity can depend on things people can control. “By
choosing healthy habits every day, we can create a gene activity pattern that
is more beneficial for our health,” she says. “Even just 15 minutes of
practicing mindfulness seems to do the trick.”
