Studies like this one.
Among the reasons I got interested in
mind-body medicine in the 1980’s. Published this month, this small study
advances the ball way forward.
Demonstrates that measurable impact
on aging, immune function, etc all the way down to the level of our
genes, happen immediately…….
“….evaluated the impact of a day of intensive meditation practice (8 hours) on the methylome of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in experienced meditators (n = 17). In parallel, we assessed the influence of a day of leisure activities in the same environment on the methylome of matched control subjects with no meditation experience (n = 17).”
“In the meditation group, we identified 61 differentially methylated
sites after the intervention. These differentially methylated sites were
enriched in genes mostly associated with immune cell metabolism and
ageing and in binding sites for several transcription factors involved
in immune response and inflammation, among other functions. In the
control group, no significant change in methylation level was observed
after the day of leisure activities.”
.
“These results suggest
that a short meditation intervention in trained subjects may rapidly
influence the epigenome at sites of potential relevance for immune
function and provide a better understanding of the dynamics of the human
methylome over short time windows. “
.
R.Chaix, et al
Differential DNA methylation in experienced meditators after an
intensive day of mindfulness-based practice: Implications for
immune-related pathways
Brain, Behavior, & Immunity — Volume 84 — February 2020 — page 36