Health benefits of deep meditation
We’ve long known that meditation is good for your mental health, but what about your gut health? According to a new comparative study published in General PsychiatryRegular deep meditation can help regulate the gut microbiome, which includes the bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live in your digestive tract.
In the study, the researchers analyzed the blood and stool samples from nearly 40 Tibetan Buddhist monks from three temples and compared them to samples from 19 secular residents in neighboring areas.
The research showed that the monks’ gut microbes differed significantly from those of their neighbors and that these microbes were associated with a lower risk of anxiety, depression and depression because of the connection between our gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system or gut-brain axis Cardiovascular diseases have been linked. The monks in this study practiced Tibetan Buddhist meditation for at least two hours a day between the ages of three and 30.
“Overall, several bacteria accumulated in the meditation group [have been] associated with alleviating mental illness, suggesting that meditation may affect certain bacteria that may play a role in mental health,” the researchers wrote in a press release about the study.
Meditation has long been associated with several health benefits, including improved sleep, reduced stress and anxiety, and lower blood pressure. And while meditation has been used to treat mental disorders, it was unclear whether it could alter the composition of the gut microbiome. Because the study was small, all participants were male, and lived at high altitude, the researchers were unable to draw any definitive conclusions, but believe exploring how meditation can help prevent or treat psychosomatic illnesses merits further research.
“These results suggest that long-term deep meditation can have a beneficial effect on the gut microbiota, allowing the body to maintain an optimal state of health,” the researchers concluded.
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