Meditate On It
We're used to thinking in terms of drugs being used to cure sickness. But scientific research has shown that Mindfulness Meditation, which focuses attention on the present moment, can also be helpful.
Researchers from the United States and Spain found in one study that mindfulness may not only affect your mood, it may affect your genes.
Genes make proteins, and the amount that they manufacture depends upon the extent to which the gene is turned on or off. The researchers measured levels of certain proteins called histones produced by genes involved in inflammation.
Ohm Remedies
Researchers compared a group of experienced meditators with another group of people who engaged in quiet activities over an eight‑hour period. Before the session, there was no difference in histone levels between groups. After the sessions, they noticed a so‑called "down‑regulation", or a suppression of the gene-producing histones in the meditators compared to the other group.
Meditation, however, may not cure your arthritis. The meditators used in this study were experienced. This was the first study to show changes in gene expression after meditation, and there needs to be more testing to show cause and effect with inexperienced people.
Read More:
"Rapid Changes In Histone Deacetylases And Inflammatory Gene Expression In Expert Meditators" (Psychoneuroendocrinology)
