Managing Metabolic Syndrome through Practicing Yoga
Yoga, popularly known as 'yogis' in the Western world, is frequently lauded for its potential health benefits. But what does scientific research say about its efficacy? A recent study from the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports focused on the impact of yoga on people with metabolic syndrome.
At Medical News Today, we've reported on several studies highlighting the potential ways yoga may positively affect our health. These studies suggested improvements in brain health, cognitive function, thyroid problems, depression symptoms, prostate enlargement, and diabetes management. However, most of these studies were observational, making it impossible to draw conclusions about causality, and fewer studies have investigated the mechanisms underlying the findings.
The recently published study, led by Dr. Parco M. Siu from the University of Hong Kong, China, investigated the effect of yoga on cardiometabolic health. The results indicated that yoga not only benefits individuals with metabolic syndrome but also revealed the mechanisms behind these benefits.
Decrease in Inflammatory Response
Metabolic syndrome, associated with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, is a common condition affecting an estimated 34% of the adult population in the United States.
In a previous study, Dr. Siu and his team found lower blood pressure and smaller waist circumferences among individuals who practiced yoga for a year. For the new study, they aimed to examine the effect of a year of yoga on people with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure.
The researchers randomly assigned 97 participants with metabolic syndrome to either a control group or a yoga group. Participants in the control group did not receive any intervention, while those in the yoga group attended three one-hour yoga sessions each week for a year.
The scientists also monitored the participants' sera for adipokines, proteins released by fat tissue that signal the immune system to release either an inflammatory or anti-inflammatory response.
The study authors concluded that "1-year yoga training decreased proinflammatory adipokines and increased anti-inflammatory adipokines in adults with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure." This finding supports the beneficial role of yoga in managing metabolic syndrome by favorably modulating adipokines.
The results suggest that yoga could be an accessible lifestyle intervention to help reduce inflammation and assist people with metabolic syndrome in managing their symptoms.
Dr. Siu further commented on the study's results, stating, "These findings help reveal the response of adipokines to long-term yoga exercise, which underscores the importance of regular exercise to human health."
- Yoga, particularly beneficial for individuals with metabolic syndrome, appears to help in managing chronic diseases like type-2 diabetes and heart disease, according to a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.
- The study, led by Dr. Parco M. Siu from the University of Hong Kong, China, found that a year of yoga practice decreased proinflammatory adipokines and increased anti-inflammatory adipokines in adults with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure.
- As reported by Medical News Today, this finding supports the positive role of yoga in managing metabolic syndrome by favorably modulating adipokines, protein markers associated with inflammatory and immune responses.
- Furthermore, by reducing inflammation and improving metabolic health, yoga could serve as an accessible lifestyle intervention for people with metabolic disorders, providing another dimension to health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and nutrition strategies.
