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Natural Health News — Many yoga practitioners swear that regular practice will keep you young. Now it appears they may be right.
A new study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that 12 weeks of yoga boosted the body’s natural defense system against free radicals, raising the levels fo natural antioxidants and strengthening the immune system.
The researchers found that just 12 weeks of yoga led to higher levels of antioxidants and fewer signs of oxidative stress – as measures by things like levels of stress hormones – compared to people who took part in running, cycling, or jumping rope. In addition, the immune system of people who did yoga improved.
» Regular practice of yoga boosts levels of natural antioxidants in the body and strengthens the immune system.
» Health benefits, which have also been demonstrated in other studies, were seen after just 12 weeks of regular practice.
12 weeks to health
Women and men in the study did 90 minutes of yoga weekly in a class and 40 minutes at home with the aid of a DVD for at least three times a week over 12 weeks. Their weekly class included:
Yoga, unlike the other types of exercise, led to lower levels of nitric oxide, a chemical which, while helpful at lower levels can act as a harmful free radical in the body as levels rise.. Yoga also lowered signs of oxidative stress in the body, as measures by things like levels of stress hormones.
We can, of course, get antioxidants from our diets. Nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium and manganese, neutralize free radicals in the body. Antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids, present naturally in brightly coloured foods, also help this process.
But out bodies also produce natural antioxidant substances – such as the protein glutathione and an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase – that combat oxidative stress. In this study, yoga significantly increased levels these natural antioxidants in the body,
More evidence
The results of this study support those of a 2007 study showing that 6 months of yoga led to higher antioxidant levels. Another in 2012 showed that people who practiced yoga regularly once a week for 12 weeks had more antioxidants in their blood plasma and lower levels of stress hormones.
Yoga has also been shown to strengthen the immune system. By increasing levels of levels of important proteins called cytokines that are responsible for supporting the immune system. This supports ongoing studies that show yoga not only reduces stress on the body but also makes your immune system stronger.
What this means is that boosting the body’s antioxidant defence system can be achieved by enjoying yummy foods like berries and chocolate, and ensuring you are eating plenty of organic produce, shown to be higher in valuable antioxidants.
But it can be supported and significantly boosted if we also make healthy practices like yoga a part of our weekly routine.
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