Embracing yoga for effective metabolic syndrome management
Yoga enthusiasts, colloquially known as "yogis," rave about the bodily and mental benefits of their practice, but what does the science say? A new study scrubs down the effects of yoga on people suffering from metabolic syndrome.
Here at Medical News Today, we've been reporting on numerous studies suggesting that yoga might enhance various aspects of our health. Some studies hint at improved brain health and cognition, alleviation of thyroid issues, and relief from symptoms of depression.
Yoga has also been linked to helping men boost their prostate size or beat erectile dysfunction, and serving as a boon for those dealing with diabetes to manage their symptoms. It seems like yoga is the cure-all for nearly everything, but there's a catch: most of these studies are observational, meaning they can't make a solid case for causality.
Few studies have investigated the underlying mechanisms of the apparent benefits. But that's where Dr. Parco M. Siu and his team from the University of Hong Kong come in. In a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, they dived deep into the impact of yoga on cardiometabolic health.
The study revealed that yoga didn't just benefit those with metabolic syndrome, but also uncovered the mechanisms behind those benefits.
Yoga crushes inflammation
Metabolic syndrome is frequently associated with heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In the US, about 34% of the adult population struggles with the condition.
In a previous study, Dr. Siu's team found lower blood pressure and smaller waistlines for those who practiced yoga for a year. Consequently, they decided to examine the effect of a year of yoga on people with metabolic syndrome.
The scientists randomly divided 97 participants with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure into a control group and a yoga group. The yoga group partook in three 1-hour yoga sessions each week for a year, while the control group received no intervention but monthly health checks.
The researchers also kept tabs on the participants' blood samples for adipokines – proteins that signal the immune system to release either an inflammatory or anti-inflammatory response.
The study authors conclude, "Our 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."
The researchers added, "These findings support the beneficial role of yoga in managing [metabolic syndrome] by favorably modulating adipokines."
These findings suggest that yoga could serve as an effective lifestyle intervention, helping to decrease inflammation and manage metabolic syndrome symptoms. Dr. Siu himself shared his thoughts on the study, stating, "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 led by Dr. Parco M. Siu and his team from the University of Hong Kong revealed that yoga can help manage metabolic syndrome by decreasing proinflammatory adipokines and increasing anti-inflammatory adipokines.
- Yoga, as a lifestyle intervention, could play a significant role in managing chronic conditions like metabolic syndrome by decreasing inflammation.
- Metabolic syndrome, associated with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, affects about 34% of the adult population in the US.
- The study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that a year of yoga training significantly improved cardiometabolic health in individuals with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure.
