Meditation May Help Those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Meditation May Help Those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a new study shows.
The study conducted by researcher Dr. Braden Kuo, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and his team, found that yoga and meditation can ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and irritable bowel disease (IBD), and they seem to achieve this by changing some genetic signals.
The most common symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation. Irritable bowel disease is characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. The two main types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which affects the colon, and Crohn’s disease, which usually affects the intestines but can also occur anywhere in the digestive tract. Previous research has already shown a link between stress and digestive problems, including IBS and IBD. There are no effective treatments for these diseases.
The study used a mind-body technique called Relaxation Response, developed by a Harvard University doctor in the 1970s. The study participants underwent a nine-week program that included breathing exercises, meditation and yoga; they met for 1.5 hour group session every week and did the exercises at home every day for 15 to 20 minutes. Researchers checked their symptoms and analyzed their blood samples before, during, and after the study.
After the study, patients reported that their symptoms had lessened significantly, and blood analysis revealed changes in genetic pathways related to the two disorders. Researchers found that meditation can suppress the activities of certain genes, such as inflammation-related gene, called NF-kB responsible for causing inflammation and other immune system problems in patients.
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