Meditation and Its Mental and Physical Health Benefits in 2023.
Cureus – June 01, 2023
Source: PubMed
Summary
Meditation significantly enhances both mental and physical health, with studies showing improvements in various conditions. MRI scans reveal positive brain changes linked to meditation, while immune function improves through reduced cytokine levels. Participants experienced a 10% decrease in blood cholesterol and a notable increase in high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Additionally, meditation helps alleviate symptoms of anxiety disorders and PTSD. Its benefits extend to chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension, highlighting its potential as a holistic approach to well-being across multiple health domains.
Abstract
This article discusses the power of meditation and how beneficial it is for the body. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown many positive brain changes and improved several brain functions. Meditation has several benefits improving the immune system and inflammatory processes by decreasing cytokine; appropriate telomere shortening also has helped healthy aging. Regarding physical health, meditation has been beneficial in various multi-factorial diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and fibromyalgia. It has also helped bring down blood cholesterol levels and increase high-density lipoproteins (HDL) levels. Improvement was also seen in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Mental health is another aspect influenced by meditation, as positive emotion brought about by meditation helps address various mental problems like social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Overall, it seems to have some impact in all health areas. However, the magnitude of its effect is not known. More diverse and detailed studies should yield more beneficial clinical outcomes.