Managing Metabolic Syndrome Through Yoga Practices: A Comprehensive Guide
Yoga, commonly referred to as 'yogis' in the Western world, is often praised for its potential health benefits. A recent study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports delves into this aspect, specifically focusing on how yoga affects individuals with metabolic syndrome.
At Medical News Today, we've been reporting on numerous studies highlighting the multifaceted ways in which yoga may enhance overall health. Yet, most of these studies are observational, making it challenging to establish a causal link.
This latest research, led by Dr. Parco M. Siu of the University of Hong Kong, investigated the impact of yoga on cardiometabolic health. The study not only confirmed benefits for those with metabolic syndrome but also uncovered the mechanisms behind such benefits.
Yoga and Inflammation
Metabolic syndrome, a condition associated with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, is prevalent, affecting approximately 34% of adults in the United States.
Dr. Siu and his team had previously found lower blood pressure and a reduced waist circumference among those who practiced yoga for a year. In the new study, they sought to examine the effect of a year of yoga on individuals with metabolic syndrome.
They randomly assigned 97 participants with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure 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 1-hour sessions weekly for a year.
The researchers monitored the patients' sera for adipokines, signaling proteins released by fat tissue, which trigger an inflammatory or anti-inflammatory response.
The study authors concluded, "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."
These findings support the notion that yoga could offer a promising lifestyle intervention, potentially reducing inflammation and aiding those with metabolic syndrome in managing their symptoms.
Dr. Siu further commented, "These findings help reveal the response of adipokines to long-term yoga exercise, which underpins the importance of regular exercise to human health."
- Yoga, as part of a health-and-wellness routine, may potentially offer benefits for individuals with metabolic disorders, such as type-2 diabetes and heart disease, due to its impact on cardiometabolic health.
- The latest study, conducted by Dr. Parco M. Siu and his team, found that a year of yoga practice can decrease proinflammatory adipokines and increase anti-inflammatory adipokines in adults with metabolic syndrome and high-normal blood pressure.
- This reduction in inflammation, as a result of practicing yoga, may aid individuals with metabolic syndrome in managing their chronic medical conditions and overall fitness-and-exercise efforts.
- The shift in adipokine levels after a year of yoga exercise, as observed in this study, underlines the importance of regular exercise, including yoga, for human health and nutrition, which can contribute to the prevention and management of various chronic diseases.
