Managing Metabolic Syndrome Through Yoga Practice
Yoga enthusiasts, popularly known as yogis, swoon over the benefits yoga provides for mind and body. But what does science truly say? Recently, a study delved into the impact of yoga on individuals grappling with metabolic syndrome.
At Medical News Today, we've been reporting on yoga's multifaceted advantages for health. Some studies hint at enhanced brain function and cognition, while others suggest it alleviates thyroid issues and lessens depression symptoms. It's even proposed that yoga can aid men in enhancing their prostate size or overcoming erectile dysfunction, and assist those with diabetes in managing their symptoms.
However, most of these studies are observational, meaning they can't definitively establish cause-and-effect relationships. Furthermore, few studies have delved into the mechanisms responsible for these benefits.
Enter a study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, led by Dr. Parco M. Siu from the University of Hong Kong, China. This study scrutinized the effect of yoga on cardiometabolic health.
The findings? Not only did it benefit people with metabolic syndrome, but it also elucidated the mechanisms underlying such benefits.
Yoga dampens inflammatory reaction
Metabolic syndrome, often linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease, afflicts an estimated 47% of the adult population in the United States. This study focused on the impact of a year-long yoga practice on individuals with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure.
In a previous study, Dr. Siu and his team discovered lower blood pressure and reduced waist circumference among those practicing yoga for a year. In the current study, they randomly divided 97 participants with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure into a control group and a yoga group.
The control group did not receive any intervention, while the yoga group attended three 1-hour yoga sessions each week for a year. The scientists monitored their participants' sera for adipokines – proteins released by fat tissue that activate either an inflammatory or anti-inflammatory response from the immune system.
The researchers concluded, "[The] results demonstrated that 1-year yoga training decreased proinflammatory adipokines and increased anti-inflammatory adipokine in adults with [metabolic syndrome] and high-normal blood pressure." They added, "These findings support the beneficial role of yoga in managing [metabolic syndrome] by favorably modulating adipokines."
These results imply that regular yoga practice could decrease inflammation and aid individuals with metabolic syndrome in managing their symptoms. Dr. Siu further emphasized, "These findings help to reveal the response of adipokines to long-term yoga exercise, which underpins the importance of regular exercise to human health."
- The study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, led by Dr. Parco M. Siu, found that a year-long yoga practice can benefit individuals with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure by decreasing proinflammatory adipokines and increasing anti-inflammatory adipokines.
- The study underscores the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind yoga's benefits, especially in managing chronic conditions like metabolic syndrome, which affects around 47% of the adult population in the United States.
- The findings suggest that regular yoga practice could be a valuable part of health and wellness routines for managing metabolic disorders, and may contribute positively to overall fitness and exercise routines, as well as dietary approaches to nutrition.
- However, while science is beginning to provide evidence for the benefits of yoga, more research is needed to establish definitive cause-and-effect relationships and expand our understanding of how yoga practices impact a wide range of medical conditions, including metabolic disorders, heart diseases, and type-2 diabetes.
