The Science Behind Mindfulness Meditation: How It Boosts Brain and Immune Function
Hi friends, this week, I summarized the paper Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation. tldr; meditating benefits our mental wellbeing and immune functions
What do meditators and vegans have in common? (hint: it’s not just the yoga pants)
They’ll tell you about it.
People who meditate swear on their yoga mats about how it helps with their mental and physical health, but what does the science actually say about the effects of meditation on the body and mind?
One study shows that mindfulness meditation boosts mental wellbeing and immune function. Mindfulness meditation is a type of meditation where you focus on being aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment.
They took healthy employees and divided them into two groups. One group of 25 participants practiced mindfulness meditation over 8 weeks. The other group, with 16 people, acted as a control group. The first group underwent an 8-week program to learn mindfulness techniques. This wasn't just any meditation, but a well-established program known as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
The researchers looked at two things to see if meditating made any real changes:
Brain activity was monitored using EEGs (a test that detects electrical activity in the brain) before, right after, and four months after the program.
Immune function was assessed by giving all participants a flu vaccine at the end of the 8 weeks. The researchers then measured the levels of antibodies produced in response to the vaccine.
What did they find?
Brain changes. People who meditated showed increased activity in the left-anterior part of the brain. Increased activity in this area is associated with positive feelings and emotions. This suggests that meditation makes changes in the brain that help us feel better.
Immune boost. The meditation group also had a stronger response to the flu vaccine. They produced more antibodies against the flu, and their bodies are better equipped to fight off the virus compared to the non-meditators.
Link between brain and immune function. Interestingly, they found that those with the biggest changes in brain activity also had the strongest immune response. This finding is particularly noteworthy because it suggests that the mental effects of meditation - like reduced stress and increased positive emotions - may translate into physical health benefits. The whole mind-body connection thing is not woo-woo after all.
Any bit of mindfulness counts.The frequency or duration of participants' meditation practice didn't significantly affect the brain or immune system changes. This is good news for busy people (like you and me, of course). You don’t need to go all zen or spend hours each day to see results – even brief moments of mindfulness help.
Takeaway? You might want to start meditating. It’s free and doesn’t have to take a lot of time. You can start small and focus on a few minutes a day. You might find that it helps with both your mental and physical health!
TLDR? Meditating not only helps us feel better, it improves our immune function.
Hi! This article was originally for Sintesis, a (hopefully daily) newsletter where I share short summaries of interesting papers in the field of psychology, neuroscience, and medicine. Click here if you’d like to get these articles in your inbox :)
5 links I want to share this week:
Become a Better Writer in 60 Minutes (Masterclass). Imo, here’s some of the best writing advice in 60 minutes. Pop your headphones in, and enjoy! My favourite takeaway is copywork, where you copy the work of your favorite writers using your own handwriting. By doing that, you learn how to write a good piece, and hopefully absorb some of their writing juice along the way.
The Pathless Path. Here’s a free book download from Paul Millerd. I haven’t finished reading it yet, but it’s all about reframing our beliefs about work & life. And it’s free!
Let’s Dance! Neuroscientist Erik Hoel highlighted a recent study examining the efficacy of various treatments for depression. The study identifies dancing as the most effective option. It also found that walking/jogging, yoga, and meditation surpass the effectiveness of SSRIs for treating depression. According to the study, dancing yields the most significant impact on depression, with exercise, in general, proving more beneficial than SSRIs.
The timeline of technology. How did we go from fire to ChatGPT?
“Trying to eat out less this year so now I pretend my apartment is a tiny restaurant”
Thanks for reading, and have a nice day :)