Lower Inflammation with Yoga

Yoga practice may help reduce inflammation, according to a new study from Ohio State University. Half of the research subjects were yoga novices and half of them were experts who had been doing yoga for at least two years. The experts had attended at least two classes a week for the past year. The women’s responses to stress were evaluated. Then they were subjected to real stress: doing hard math problems in their heads with their feet in cold water. Yoga novices had levels of interleukin-6 that were 40 percent higher than those of the experts. Inflammation appears to be a key risk factor for many chronic diseases, so practicing yoga might be a great way to stay healthy.
[Psychosomatic Medicine, online Jan. 11, 2010]