Meditation and inflammation

While a growing number of people swear by the power of mindfulness meditation to ease anxiety, skeptics question whether the practice offers real physiological benefits. But doubters may want to consider a new study showing that mindfulness has measurable effects on specific markers of stress and inflammation. Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center randomly assigned 89 people with generalized anxiety disorder to take either an eight-week mindfulness-meditation stress-reduction course, or general stress management classes that focused on wellness topics, like healthy eating and good sleep habits. After analyzing blood samples from each participant, the team found people who engaged in mindfulness meditation were better able to cope with stressful situations, ScienceDaily​.com reports. Those who learned to meditate had significantly lower levels of the stress hormone ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) and markers of inflammation, called pro-inflammatory cytokines, than the ones who didn’t. “Mindfulness-meditation training is a relatively inexpensive and low-stigma treatment approach,” says Georgetown psychiatrist Elizabeth Hoge. “These findings strengthen the case that it can improve resilience to stress.”

Decluttering my home of all these pieces of paper I have been saving for this blog has been anxiety reducing, too. Just saying.

Taken from the February 10, 2017 print edition of The Week Magazine.