Regular yoga sessions reduce inflammation in the blood, which occurs as a result of the normal aging process, and as a result of stress, scientists.
Women regularly engaged in yoga showed a lower level of special protein in the blood - cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). This discovery was made by researchers from the University of Ohio (USA). They also found that in stressful situations, the level of these proteins in yoga patients remained lower, compared to those not engaged.
The study involved 50 women, whose average age was 41 years. They were divided into two groups: "beginners" who did yoga no more than 6-12 times, and "experts" who practiced yoga at least twice a week for two years. Every five days they visited a university research center, which filled out questionnaires, passed psychological tests and took blood tests.
Interleukin-6 is a biologically active substance (cytokine). His level increases with heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, arthritis and other age-related diseases. Getting into the blood, these substances cause inflammation, which damages the vessels and organs of our body. The participants of the experiment were subjected to stressful influences, such as immersing the legs in very cold water and solving mathematical problems without a handle and paper. After that they passed a yoga session, went in for sports or watched a boring video. Walking and watching the film were chosen to reveal the effect of yoga sessions.
After assessing the blood tests in women, the researchers found that the participants in the experiment from the group of "newcomers" after stressful situations, the level of inflammatory cytokines was 41% higher than in women from the group of "experts", that is, long engaged in yoga.
According to another co-author of the study, the therapy professor Bill Malarka, another positive side of yoga are stretching exercises.
With age, muscles lose elasticity, and the volume of movements in the joints decreases. Yoga helps to overcome these problems and achieve relaxation, which also leads to a reduction in the harmful effects of stress. The results of the study are published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine (Psychosomatic Medicine).
Now scientists are going to find out whether it is possible to reduce the level of inflammation with yoga and cure chronic fatigue syndrome. Sumy. Ua.