Mindfulness meditation has been shown to improve attention regulation, body awareness and emotional regulation, positively effecting a person’s overall well-being and physical health. Research also suggest mindfulness can help improve immune functioning — boosting your body’s natural defense system.
One of the most popular meditation techniques, mindfulness is the practice of paying close attention to the present moment without judgement. It’s the art of tuning in to your immediate experience and accepting whatever thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations arise moment-to-moment. Calming your mind and body, practicing mindfulness is an exceptional tool for stress reduction; and mindfulness-based therapy interventions have been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
All of these factors enable your immune system to function more optimally and provide better protection for your health, especially when you consider chronic stress’ negative impact on immune health. Additionally, a growing body of research indicates that practicing mindfulness meditation helps boost your immune system for better defenses.
How Mindfulness Meditation Boosts Your Immune System
A 2016 review published in a special edition of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences looked at 20 randomized control trials with more than 1,600 participants and found that mindfulness meditation appears to modulate a few select immune parameters. Specifically, the authors found that mindfulness meditation:
– Reduces key inflammatory markers.
The authors of the review found repeat evidence that mindfulness meditation decreases the activity of proinflammatory signaling pathway, NF-kB; and reduces circulating levels of C-reactive protein (CRP),which is a protein secreted by the liver in response to a variety of inflammatory cytokines.
While inflammation is a healthy, helpful immune response to infection or injury — too much inflammation can have the opposite effect. Systemic, chronic inflammation (a known precursor to many diseases) is often correlated with suppressed immune function.
– Increases cell-mediated immune parameters.
meditation can increase the number of CD4+ T helper cells (in HIV-diagnosed individuals). A type of white blood cell, CD4+ T helper cells play a crucial role in coordinating the immune response, sending signals to activate key immune cells involved in adaptive immunity.
– Increases telomerase activity.
The authors of the review also found that mindfulness meditation increases telomerase (an important enzyme) activity that helps guard against cellular aging. As immune cells deteriorate, the immune system itself begins to slow down, weakening your immune response – making increased telomerase activity vital for reversing the adverse consequences of immune system aging (known as immunosenescence).
While the authors of the review caution against exaggerating the positive effects of mindfulness meditation on immune system parameters, calling for additional research, these findings are promising. Together with mindfulness meditation’s promise of reducing stress and anxiety, and its ability to improve sleep quality (which is also important for a strong immune system), we can begin connecting the dots between mindfulness and improved immune function.
