Is Yoga the Answer?

            Recently in our Neuroscience seminar, Dr. Jennifer Boylan presented her research on well-being and metabolic syndrome.  Metabolic syndrome is a group of factors that increase a person’s risk for heart problems.   Dr. Boylan and her colleagues were looking for connections between well-being and the cardiovascular risk that accompanies metabolic syndrome.  They found that “psychosocial resources, including positive affect, life satisfaction, and personal growth, predicted reduced risk for [Metabolic Syndrome] both cross sectionally and longitudinally.”

One biological process that connects well-being to metabolic syndrome is chronic inflammation.  This symptom occurs when systems in our bodies that are designed to create short-term stress are activated for too long.  Chronic inflammation is linked to many diseases, including metabolic syndrome.  Combined with stress, it can be highly detrimental to a person’s health.  So, how can we achieve this “well-being”?  And what can lower risk factors like inflammation?  Well, yoga may just be the answer to both of these questions.  

Yoga seems to have a cult following these days; die-hard yogis will quickly tell us that it is indeed the answer to everything.  But in case you need something a little more scientific to be persuaded, new research has been done.  Yoga is being shown to biologically reduce chronic inflammation.  One study took 200 breast cancer survivors and had half of them try yoga.  Interestingly, the experimental group saw a decrease in inflammation by 10-15% after only three months of yoga.  These findings seem to coincide with Dr. Boylans research considering yoga is known to create a sense of well-being among practicers.  We now have evidence that it helps biologically too. However, the explanation as to why this happens to yogis is not yet apparent.  Dr. Boylan is looking for similar explanations between health and well-being.

These two studies seem to overlap because well-being leads to lower cardiovascular risk and yoga aids in decreasing inflammation.  But whether or not yoga leads to well-being which results in lower chronic inflammation could still use some research.  Maybe studies involving yoga can take us one step closer to seeing the biological association between well-being and health.  And perhaps jumping on the yoga bandwagon isn’t such a bad idea.

References:

Dr. Boylan’s Research:

Boylan, Jennifer Morozink, and Carol D. Ryff. "Psychological Well-Being and Metabolic Syndrome." Psychosomatic Medicine 77.5 (2015): 548-58. Web. 04 Dec. 2015. <https://luc.app.box.com/neuroscienceseminar/1/5156287054/43881231189/1>.

Yoga article:

Brink, Susan. "New Study Shows Yoga Has Healing Powers." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 8 Feb. 2014. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140207-yoga-cancer-inflammation-stress/>.

Picture:

http://wp.nootheme.com/yogi/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/beach-yoga.jpg