Mindfulness meditation reduces stress and anxiety, according to a new study led by the Georgetown University Medical Center.
The ancient practice of meditation is gaining recognition – not only for its spiritual benefits, but its health benefits as well. Back in May, we reported on how meditation can reduce the risk of dementia.
The new research found that patients with anxiety had significantly reduced stress-hormone and inflammation responses to a stressful situation after taking a mindfulness meditation course.
“Mindfulness meditation training is a relatively inexpensive and low-stigma treatment approach, and these findings strengthen the case that it can improve resilience to stress,” said lead author Elizabeth A. Hoge, MD, associate professor in Georgetown University Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry.
Hoge and her team randomly divided participants into two groups. One group took an 8-week mindfulness meditation course, while the other took a Stress Management Education course.
Before and after the courses, participants took the Trier Social Stress Test, which helps measure stress levels.
“We were testing the patients’ resilience,” Hoge said, “because that’s really the ultimate question — can we make people handle stress better?”
The meditation group showed reduced levels of stress hormones and inflammatory proteins, while the non-meditation group showed worse responses to stress.
The study showing that mindfulness meditation reduces stress and anxiety was published in the journal Psychiatry Research.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Mindfulness Meditation Training Lowers Biomarkers of Stress Response in Anxiety Disorder.” Newswise. Georgetown University Medical Center, n.d. Web. 13 June 2017.
2. “The Effect of Mindfulness Meditation Training on Biological Acute Stress Responses in Generalized Anxiety Disorder.” Science Direct. Psychiatry Research, n.d. Web. 13 June 2017.
