Samuel Kim - Senior Editor, Lifestyle Medicine and Mental Health Department
Link: https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2018-0094 Date Published: 2 April, 2023
In the article "Biological markers for the effects of yoga as a complementary and alternative medicine", the authors Muhammad et al. review and apply various articles about the health benefits of yoga. The authors argue that yoga has potential as an alternative medicine for several chronic health issues. To support this claim, the authors examine several biomarkers and physical findings in study participants to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of yoga in preventing or treating diseases. For instance, they use the ratio of reduced glutathione:oxidized glutathione, an important enzymatic marker for oxidative stress and a common cause of chronic inflammation and disease, to quantitatively measure the benefits of yogic practice. In one of the studies the authors reviewed, the researchers found that just three months of yoga in Indian Naval men could significantly increase the amount of reduced glutathione, the enzyme with the ability to combat oxidative stress. The article also demonstrates how yoga can significantly improve cardiovascular health and cites other articles that prove this claim. The article also discusses the anti-aging benefits of yoga. One important aspect of aging is the shortening of telomeres, short DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes to protect the DNA from degradation. As you age, telomeres shorten both naturally and due to oxidative stress. The article also notes a study that demonstrated how yoga could decrease levels of 8-hydroxy 2ʹ deoxyguanosine, a byproduct of oxidative stress damaging DNA, and increase telomerase, an important enzyme in lengthening telomeres. These two quantitative measures indicate that yoga can decrease rapid aging. Yoga has an evidence-based place in alternatives to current clinical medicine for improving patient outcomes. The paper describes the overall benefits of yoga on physical health in a scientific and captivating manner. While the studies the paper describes have several methodological limitations, the overall data suggests the impact yoga could have on clinical medicine. For example, the methodologies of the studies often included various other factors that may have contributed to the results, such as calming music, medications, or physical exercise. Despite these limitations, this literary review serves as an invaluable foundation for future research into the benefits of yoga and opens the door for greater studies into previously unthought paths for improving patient health. Overall, the paper encourages the reader to participate in yoga themselves. Yoga has immense heart health benefits, helps reduce inflammation, and keeps you young! Yoga can also improve your mood and prevent several chronic illnesses. Participating in yoga or encouraging patients to try yoga could be a complementary practice to standards of care we have right now that help mitigate the epidemic of chronic health issues we see today.
References Muhammad, A., Thakur, P., Kumar, R., Kaur, S., Saini, R., & Saini, A. (2019). Biological markers for the effects of yoga as a complementary and alternative medicine. Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, 16(1), 20180094. https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2018-0094
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