A short Mindfulness practice Can Improve biomarkers of stress and inflammation
A growing body of evidence suggests that Mindfulness meditation may have positive psychological and health effects in both clinical and nonclinical populations. A recent study added further value by highlighting the positive impact of mindfulness practice on biomarkers of stress and inflammation in promoting psychological well-being through a decrease in perceived stress and anxiety levels and an increase in awareness. The study findings were published in the Psychoneuroendocrinology on January 2022 issue.
Extensive evidence in the literature demonstrates that Mindfulness practice can reduce psychological symptomatology and supports the notion that Mindfulness-based programs may be beneficial for individuals coping with a wide variety of clinical and non-clinical problems. However, concerns remain about the subjectivity of these self-reports which may not reflect bodily states in a valid or reliable manner. Therefore, Dr Concetta Gardi and her team conducted a study to assess the effect of an intensive period of Mindfulness practice on some biological mediators of stress and inflammation during a 3-day residential retreat.
In a randomized cohort study, the researchers included 95 healthy individuals and assigned them to a Mindfulness retreat arm or an active control arm. They assessed the salivary cortisol levels and a panel of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines before (t0) and after (t1) the intervention. They assessed the psychometric measures on stress, anxiety and awareness using PSS, STAI-Y and MAAS questionnaires, respectively.
Key findings of the study:
- Upon analyzing the within-group differences, the researchers observed a statistically significant decrease in perceived stress (β = − 8.85) and anxiety scores (β = − 12.39), while awareness increased (β = 15.26) between t0 to t1 in retreat participants.
- In the mindfulness intervention group, they found a significant reduction in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 (β = − 0.94) and IL-8 (β = − 176.40), and an increase in anti-inflammatory IL-10 (β = 0.89) levels at the end of the retreat.
- At t1, they noted a highly significant correlation between cortisol levels and both anxiety (r = 0.56) and perceived stress (r = 0.92) scores.
The authors concluded, "Mindfulness retreat participants showed a significant reduction in perceived stress and anxiety levels, as well as an improved balance of some key mediators of inflammatory states."
They further added, "Our data provide evidence that a mindfulness retreat may be effective in improving physical and mental health. Future studies with larger numbers of subjects and follow-up periods may examine mindfulness practice as a non-pharmacological alternative to promote stress reduction and overall health and wellbeing."
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