Aging is a natural process that every human being experiences, however, in today’s modern world, we’re dealing with a phenomenon that has sparked a lot of interest in the field of science, known as inflammaging– a chronic and low-degree proinflammatory state which occurs with increasing age and is closely associated with multiple diseases. Inflammation is known to be an invisible common denominator for an enormous number of age-related chronic and acute conditions, like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, heart disease, type-II diabetes, osteoporosis and many other diseases. The combination of inflammation and aging can make it more likely that you develop these conditions and more likely that they progress faster.
The complex mechanisms behind inflammaging are not yet fully understood. We do know that as we age, our immune systems transform. This invisible change dramatically increases the number of proinflammatory cytokines circulating in our systems. Other theories point to a degradation of the sensors that tell the immune system that the body is being attacked, or the increase in molecular “garbage,” or molecules within the body that have been damaged, altered, or are simply extraneous.
Yoga helps reduce inflammation in the body in the following ways:
Yoga reduces stress. High stress and inflammation go hand in hand. Yoga decreases stress levels. Research shows a regular yoga practice increases levels of leptin and adiponectin and these natural chemicals work to alleviate inflammation in the body.
Pranayama (the art and science of yogic breathing techniques) has been scientifically shown decrease stress, lower blood pressure, and improve immunity. Now, a study conducted by the researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina and published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that yoga breathing may also lower stress-related inflammation in the body. The study found that yoga breathing for just 20 minutes was able to lower stress-related markers of inflammation measured in the saliva. Tuning into your body and breath during yoga goes a long way towards restoring your peaceful state of mind and reducing inflammation.
Yoga improves blood sugar balance. Excess sugar in the bloodstream causes inflammation and exercise uses up blood glucose preventing it from getting stored in fat cells. Yoga is a gentle exercise that does not negatively stress the body and the postures (asanas) help balance the endocrine system. Yoga asanas massage and tone the abdominal organs like the pancreas and liver and stimulate the nervous and circulatory systems which help improve blood sugar balance.
Yoga helps you sleep better, and good sleep is key to reducing inflammation. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be healthy. Research shows that losing sleep triggers pro-inflammatory cytokines that produce tissue-damaging inflammation. Inflammation is increased in people with insomnia and sleep apnea. Having a good night’s sleep keeps you calm, reduces cortisol, and helps keep your blood sugar in balance.
Meditation has a calming effect on the body and the mind, enabling greater relaxation. Dr. David Creswell, a professor of psychology, and his colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University, who study the impact of mindfulness meditation on the brain and the body, found that daily practice of mindfulness lowers inflammatory molecules and stress hormones by about 15%. The researchers found that inflammation seems to be the key factor, as mindfulness reduces it by way of impacting changes in the brain’s functional connectivity between two brain areas that typically work in opposition: the default mode network (which is involved in mind-wandering and internal reflection) and the executive attention network (key to attention, planning and decision-making). The researchers concluded that the changes in functional brain connectivity seemed to help the brain manage stress (a known inflammation trigger), and therefore is responsible for the reduced levels of inflammation.
Meditation teaches participants how to be more open and attentive to their experiences, even difficult ones, which may result in a more lasting impact on inflammation. Developing compassion towards self and others through yoga and meditation can greatly help with psychologically inflammatory conditions as well. Love towards Self and others can transform even the most difficult life situations and have wonderful effects on the world.
Next blog: a Yoga practice to reduce inflammation.
