Friday 21 June 2019

Meditation and Yoga can 'reverse' DNA reactions which cause Stress



Mind-body interventions (MBIs) such as meditation, yoga and Tai Chi don't simply relax us; they can 'reverse' the molecular reactions in our DNA which cause ill-health and depression, according to a study.

Reason of Stress:



When a person is exposed to a stressful event, their sympathetic nervous system (SNS) -- the system responsible for the 'fight-or-flight' response -- is triggered, in turn increasing production of a molecule called nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) which regulates how our genes are expressed.

NF-kB translates stress by activating genes to produce proteins called cytokines that cause inflammation at the cellular level -- a reaction that is useful as a short-lived fight-or-flight reaction, but if persistent leads to a higher risk of cancer, accelerated aging and psychiatric disorders like depression.

How it works:



According to the study, however, people who practice MBIs exhibit the opposite effect - namely a decrease in the production of NF-kB and cytokines, leading to a reversal of the pro-inflammatory gene expression pattern and a reduction in the risk of inflammation-related diseases and conditions.

More needs to be done to understand these effects in greater depth, for example how they compare with other healthy interventions like exercise or nutrition. But this is an important foundation to build on to help future researchers explore the benefits of increasingly popular mind-body activities.

Tai Chi improving brain metabolism:



A growing body of evidence consisting of morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional MRI data suggests that Tai Chi can induce beneficial neuroplasticity. As a result, recent literature suggests the use of Tai Chi to treat both physical and psychological disorders, including stroke, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury, and depression.

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