Meditation as a Tool to Improve Health and Possibly Slow Biological Aging
- mclapham9
- 29 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Effects of Meditation
Meditation has been used as a tool for centuries as a way to connect the mind and body, to connect to the sacred, to improve health, reduce stress and anxiety as well as to center oneself. Regular meditation has been found to (1):
Reduce stress
Improve sleep quality
Reduce anxiety and depression
Improve mood and improve positive outlook
Increase self-awareness
Increase compassion towards self and others
Improve focus and attention span
Boost the body’s immune function
Reduce blood pressure and heart rate
Reduce chronic pain
Meditation has been found to provide these beneficial effects across multiple age groups and multiple physical and psychosocial disorders.
Brain Health
Our population is aging and some changes in thinking are common as people get older. These changes include being slower to find words or recall names, difficulty with multi-tasking and a reduction in attention span (12).
When it comes to brain health, mediation has been found to (5, 6, 7):
Slow brain aging
Improve attention span
Improve problem solving skills
Improve mental health conditions following traumatic experiences
Increase cerebral blood flow
Stimulate the production of neurotransmitters (i.e. dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine)
Promote neuroplasticity (which is defined by the Cleveland Clinic as “your brain’s ability to learn and adapt” [7]).
One of the remarkable effects of meditation is its ability to enhance cognitive function. Cognitive function is defined as “mental processes involved in the acquisition of knowledge, manipulation of information, and reasoning. It encompasses various skills such as memory, attention, language, and problem-solving. In essence, cognitive functions are essential for effective thinking and daily functioning” (2).
In a study by Luders et al (2020), mediation was found to prompt increases in brain tissue. This improvement was found in persons practicing meditation daily for a little as weeks or months (3). Through this study, it was determined that meditation may slow the deterioration of brain tissue associated with aging, resulting in a more youthful brain in those persons who practiced meditation on a daily basis (4).
What is Biological Aging?
Biological aging is defined as “an accumulation of cellular damage over time” — how much damage has happened to your cells over the years” (11). Your biological age impacts your overall health and how long you might live. Your biological age can be estimated by evaluating standard blood tests and physiological measurements such as blood pressure, weight, blood sugar, cholesterol levels and heart rate. The older your biological age, the earlier you might be more likely to develop chronic diseases such as dementia, diabetes, heart disease (11).
Mediation as a Possible Tool to Slow Biological Aging
A 2019 randomized clinic trial by Le Nguyen et al (8), examined the effects on telomere length (TL) of mindfulness meditation (MM) and loving-kindness meditation (LKM). Le Nguyen et al (2019) wanted to understand if practicing MM or practicing LKM or not practicing any meditation (control group) had effects on biological aging which would be indicated by the effects on telomere length.
Telomeres are a specialized types of DNA that do not make proteins. Telomeres are found on the end of a DNA sequence, and its role is to protect the ends of the DNA sequence (9). Telomeres prevent the fraying of the ends of DNA sequences, similar to how the plastic tips prevent fraying at the end of shoelaces (9).
Every time a DNA sequence replicates, the telomeres are shortened. When the telomeres become too short, the DNA sequence stops replication. The cells no longer divide, and this lack of cell division contributes to overall aging of the body.
Le Nguyen et al study results indicated that (8):
Telomeres tended to shorten across all the randomized groups, considerably so in the mindfulness meditation group and the control group.
However, the daily practice of loving-kindness meditation appeared to protect against wear and tear of the telomeres. On average, participants in the LKM group showed no significant telomere shortening over time and significantly less telomere shortening compared to those in the control group (those participants not meditating) (8).
In other words, the LKM appeared to provide protection against the shortening of telomeres in study participants randomized to practicing the LKM. It is unclear if this translates into long-term slowing of biological aging; the study recommended further research to clarify how the LKM effects telomere length and how LKM effects biological aging.
How to practice the loving kindness meditation (LKM)
From the website Verywell Mind (10), below is the LKM technique if you are interested in integrating this meditation practice into your daily activity:
Find a quiet place and sit comfortably.
Close your eyes, relax your muscles, and take a few deep breaths.
Imagine yourself experiencing complete physical and emotional wellness and inner peace.
Imagine feeling perfect love for yourself, thanking yourself for all that you are, knowing that you are just right—just as you are.
Focus on this feeling of inner peace and imagine that you are breathing out tension and breathing in feelings of love.
Repeat three or four positive, reassuring phrases to yourself. These messages are examples, but you can also create your own:
May I be happy
May I be safe
May I be healthy, peaceful, and strong
May I give and receive appreciation today
Next, bask in feelings of warmth and self-compassion for a few moments.
If your attention drifts, gently redirect it back to these feelings of loving kindness. Let these feelings envelop you.
It is recommended as you begin practicing the LKM to use yourself as the single focus of your mediation (10). As you become more comfortable with the technique of the LKM, you may want to consider extending your meditation to loved ones, your neighbors, your community or the world.
As you become more comfortable with the LKM, it is also recommended you consider directing your LKM practice to those difficult persons in your life. Practicing the LKM may increase your feelings of forgiveness towards these folks and help you find more peace.
Conclusion
Scientific studies will continue to delve into the positive physiological and mental health effects of meditation. In the meantime, give some serious consideration to incorporating some type of meditation practice into your daily routine.
Practicing meditation, regardless of the kind, provides multiple physical and psychological health benefits. Besides, we all would benefit from more loving kindness in our lives.
Bibliography
https://www.verywellhealth.com/benefits-of-meditation-11728468
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cognitive-function
Luders, E., Cherbuin, N., & Gaser, C. (2016). Estimating brain age using high-resolution pattern recognition: Younger brains in long-term meditation practitioners. NeuroImage, 134, 508–513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.04.007
Shapiro, S. L. (2020). Rewire your mind: Discover the science + practice of mindfulness. Aster.
https://helpdementia.com/how-does-daily-meditation-reduce-alzheimers-risk/
https://biologyinsights.com/what-are-telomeres-and-why-are-they-important/
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-practice-loving-kindness-meditation-3144786
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/brain-health/how-aging-brain-affects-thinking
Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board