Study: Mindfulness-based stress reduction helps the immune system
Carolyn Y Fang et al.
May 2010
Anti-Stress & Burnout
Researchers from Philadelphia in the United States hypothesized that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) not only increases psychosocial well-being, but also alters markers of immune activity.
To prove this theory, a pilot study was conducted at an academic health center in which 24 subjects without autoimmune disease underwent an eight-week MBSR program. The heterogeneous sample provided blood samples at the start of the study and two weeks after completing the therapy.
Significant improvements in quality of life and a reduction in stress and anxiety were observed. The latter correlated with a reduction in C-reactive proteins. Subjects who reported an increase in general mental well-being showed an increase in the cytolytic activity of natural killer cells.
The MBSR program therefore not only triggered a sense of well-being, but also had a positive influence on immunological measures.
The most important information on the study at a glance
- Indications
- Stress
- Institution
- Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Title
- Study: Mindfulness-based stress reduction helps the immune system
- Brief description
- Study shows that an eight-week mindfulness program increases well-being and has positive effects on the immune system.
- Original title
- Enhanced psychosocial well-being following participation in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program is associated with increased natural killer cell activity.
- Link to the study
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20455784/
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