Just meditate! I have enjoyed writing about meditation and mindfulness over the last several years. We have had increasing evidence pointing to the ability of mindfulness practices to reduce perceived stress, help with depression, improve sleep, and more. Today we examine another positive outcome from mindfulness: You can reduce your inflammation. We’ll end with a brief and practical guide to meditation.
A randomized clinical trial from Carnegie Mellon University (USA) discovered that mindfulness practices appear to impact brain circuitry that yields inflammatory health benefits and may lower a biomarker of inflammation known as interleukin-6 (IL-6). More specifically, the researchers provided the first evidence that mindfulness meditation training indirectly changes a brain region linked with executive control at rest. These brain changes led to improvements in IL-6 levels.
Let’s look at interleukin-6 in a bit more detail. Discovered in 1986, IL-6 is involved both in immune responses as well as in inflammation. It also is involved in making blood (hematopoiesis), bone metabolism, and the development of an embryo. Importantly for our discussion today, IL-6 plays a role in chronic inflammation (and is linked to chronic inflammatory disease, autoimmune conditions, and cancer).
You may have heard of IL-6 more recently, given its part in producing so-called cytokine storms associated with COVID-19. Cytokine storm is when an infection triggers your immune system to flood your bloodstream with inflammatory proteins called cytokines. They can kill tissue and damage your organs.
Beyond Mindfulness
Could aerobic exercise also be effective in reducing blood markers of inflammation? The answer appears to be yes. Researchers randomized stressed job-seeking adults to either a 3-day intensive residential mindfulness meditation or relaxation program.
Before and following the intervention, subjects completed a 5-minute resting-state scan. They also gave blood samples before the program and at four months follow-up. Here are the study results:
Mindfulness meditation reduced interleukin-6 levels, a marker of inflammatory disease risk.
Just meditate! Please go here to learn more, including some tips for beginners:
