The Anti-aging Effects of Mindfulness Meditation

Could mindfulness meditation have an anti-aging effect on those who practice regularly? This interesting question is the topic of much speculation, but is there any scientific research being conducted on the potential anti-aging benefits of mindfulness meditation?

Amazingly, several inquisitive scientists are promoting both thoughtful discussion and analytical research on aging and meditation. These researchers are conducting intriguing studies to investigate the idea that mindfulness meditation may provide antiaging effects to regular practitioners of this relaxation technique. A recent research article eloquently revealed both the basis of an experimental hypothesis, and the actual laboratory research on the potential anti-aging effects of mindfulness meditation.

In this fascinating article, the authors initially discuss the cellular markers of aging, known as telomeres, and the effect that psychological states appear to have on these biomarkers of age. The author's thesis suggests the possibility that negative psychological states, such as chronic stress and depression, may actually increase the rate of aging.

Telomeres are like the ticking clocks of the cell. They are protective structures that cap the ends of chromosomes, the compressed DNA material inside the nucleus of human cells and mitochondria. The length of these telomeres is an indicator of the aging of each cell because the telomeres that cap chromosomes become shorter and shorter as time passes.

The authors point out that there are stress states that can trigger negative emotional responses. These negative emotional states then appear to result in physiological changes known as high catabolic (molecular breakdown), low anabolic (chemical building) states that can impair the length of telomeres.

In order to obtain evidence for this interesting hypothesis, the researchers first determined that women under chronic stress had shorter telomeres than other people who had low stress levels. They additionally found that an objective indicator of stress (years of caregiving) was related to shorter telomere length. Major depression has also been associated with shorter telomeres, as has the inherently stressful situation of low socioeconomic status.

The clear link between stress and increased cellular aging points to the obvious question of whether mindfulness meditation, which can alter the response to any situation, can result in less perceived stress and, thus, slow cellular aging. Mindfulness meditation, the practice of being aware of thoughts and sensations without assigning any judgment to them, allows for greater flexibility in how to respond to a thought or experience when it occurs.

A recent meta-analysis provided a potent example of the health benefits of mindfulness meditation. In this meta-analysis, 20 studies examined the effects of mindfulness based stress reduction in patients with chronic illnesses (including cancer, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain). Improvements were seen in psychological functioning such as anxiety, depressive symptoms and coping style. Improvements in physical health was also noted, including a decrease in pain and physical impairment.

By connecting the improvements in psychological functioning and coping, and the known negative effects of stress on the cellular biomarkers of aging, one can presume that mindfulness meditation may have anti-aging benefits by improving coping skills and decreasing the frequency of detrimental stress states. Further research will help clarify this interesting possibility.

Source: Epel E. et al. Can Meditation Slow Rate of Cellular Aging? Cognitive Stress, Mindfulness, and Telomeres. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1172: 34-53 (2009).