Managing Metabolic Syndrome Through Yoga Practice
Yogis, the peeps who do yoga, are always hyping up about how it's good for your body and mind. But what's the science really saying? A new study sheds some light, focusing on how yoga could impact people with metabolic syndrome.
We've been covering various studies on Medical News Today that indicate yoga might have some amazing health benefits, including boosting brain health, helping with thyroid issues, and relieving depression symptoms. It even seems to help guys with prostate issues or erectile dysfunction, and those with diabetes to manage their symptoms.
However, most of these studies are observational, meaning we can't draw any solid conclusions about causality. Few studies have looked at the underlying mechanisms.
But a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports provides some answers, led by Dr. Parco M. Siu from the University of Hong Kong in China. The study investigated the effect of yoga on cardiometabolic health.
Turns out, it not only benefits people with metabolic syndrome but also reveals the mechanisms behind these benefits.
Yoga Reduces Inflammatory Response
Metabolic syndrome is linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. In the U.S., around half of the adult population are estimated to have it.
Dr. Siu and his team previously found lower blood pressure and smaller waist circumferences among those who practiced yoga for a year. In the new study, they wanted to examine the effect of a year of yoga on people with metabolic syndrome.
They assigned 97 participants with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure to either a control group or a yoga group. The yoga group underwent three 1-hour yoga sessions a week for a year.
The scientists also checked the patients' blood for adipokines, signaling proteins that tell the immune system to release either an inflammatory or anti-inflammatory response.
The study authors concluded, "1-year yoga training decreased proinflammatory adipokines and increased anti-inflammatory adipokine in adults with [metabolic syndrome] and high-normal blood pressure."
"These findings support the beneficial role of yoga in managing [metabolic syndrome] by favorably modulating adipokines," they added.
The results suggest that yoga could be a useful lifestyle intervention to decrease inflammation and help people with metabolic syndrome manage their symptoms.
Dr. Siu also commented on the study's results, stating, "These findings help to reveal the response of adipokines to long-term yoga exercise, which underpins the importance of regular exercise to human health."
- Yoga has been shown to have potential benefits for those with metabolic disorders, as indicated by a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.
- The study revealed that regular yoga practice for a year could decrease proinflammatory adipokines and increase anti-inflammatory adipokines in adults with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure.
- This finding suggests that yoga could be a useful lifestyle intervention to decrease inflammation and help manage symptoms for people with metabolic syndrome.
- Dr. Siu, the lead researcher of the study, emphasized the importance of regular exercise like yoga for human health, as it helps to modulate adipokines, which play a crucial role in managing metabolic syndrome.
