Regular yoga practice cuts multiple complexes in the blood and reduces levels of inflammatory responses caused by normal aging and stress, according to a new study. The study, published in Mind-Body Medicine and conducted by Ohio State University, showed that women who regularly practiced yoga had lower blood levels of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). For the same age and weight, women who practiced yoga had less elevated blood levels of IL-6, an important component of the body’s inflammatory response that is linked to heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, arthritis, and many age-related debilitating diseases, than those who did not practice yoga after experiencing stress. The researchers suggest that reducing inflammation is highly beneficial in terms of both short-term and long-term health effects. Wang Lei, Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and first author Janice Kiecolt-Glaser explains, “In addition to having lower levels of inflammation prior to stress, we also observed lower levels of inflammatory response in skilled yoga exercisers when subjected to stress.” “This means: by practicing yoga or practicing other ways to reduce stress, people can expect to learn to cope with stressful events in their daily lives with ease.” The researchers recruited 50 women with an average age of 41. They were then divided into two groups. One group was “rookies,” whose members had either attended a yoga class or had videotaped themselves practicing yoga at home for six to 12 classes; the other group was “jumbo shrimps,” whose members had a history of practicing yoga twice a week for at least two years or had practiced yoga twice a week for at least the last year. The other group was “prawns,” whose members had a history of practicing yoga twice a week for at least two years, or at least twice a week in the last year. Each woman in the study was required to attend yoga classes held at the university’s clinical research center three times every two weeks. At the beginning of each session, participants were asked to fill out questionnaires and complete several psychological tests to measure their state of mind and anxiety levels. Participants then completed several tasks designed to increase their stress levels, including dipping their feet in ice-cold water for a minute, and then were asked to solve a series of increasingly difficult math problems without a pen and paper. After receiving these “stressful stimuli,” participants either attended a yoga class, walked slowly on a treadmill at 0.5 miles per hour (a pace designed to contrast with the metabolic demands of the yoga class), or watched a video recording of banal and tedious content as a control condition. Once the blood samples were analyzed at the end of the study, the researchers saw that levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 were 41% higher in the women in the “rookie” group than in the women in the “prawn” group. Co-author Ron Glaser, professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics, says the study has some very clear implications for health. “We know that inflammation plays an important role in many conditions. Yoga steps in as a simple, enjoyable way to get involved and may help reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes or other age-related diseases.” He said. “It’s a simple and easy way that people can physically reduce their risk of disease.” Bill Malarkey, professor of internal medicine and one of the co-authors, noted that the body’s flexibility typically diminishes as we age. “As we age, muscles get shorter and stiffer, primarily due to lack of activity.” He says, “Yoga’s stretching exercises actually improve the body’s flexibility, while rotational relaxation reduces stress.” Malarkey believes that people practicing yoga or engaging in other regular exercise is just one of the proven ways to address the current human health crisis. “People should be educated on this. They should take responsibility for their health and lifestyle. Practicing yoga and similar exercises can transform health.” As a clinician, he says, “I spend a lot of time just trying to get people to slow down.” Dr. Wang’s advice: In the hospital, our medical technology and medications do provide you with the help you deserve, but hopefully more patients will take the initiative to choose a greener lifestyle, with a sensible diet, proper exercise, and a cheerful state of mind, and these lifestyle changes will make your day-to-day life healthier and more relaxed! These lifestyle changes will make your day-to-day life healthier and more relaxed!