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If you read any of our blog posts, you know we think blood glucose levels are important. Not just for diabetes, but spikes in glucose can lead to inflammation which may be the root cause of heart disease, dementia, cancer, and more.
This study looked at the effect of meditation on blood sugar levels. This study had two arms- one was patients taught to do a yoga based meditation technique vs. patients randomized to supine rest- ie lying down. This seemed interesting. Is there a difference between chilling out on the couch or bed vs. doing yoga and meditation?
The answer is yes.
“Immediate effect of a meditation technique on blood glucose, state anxiety and relaxation in patients with type 2 diabetes: a pilot randomized crossover study” published October 2021 in The Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine.
Study:
- patients, randomized to mind sound resonance technique (a yoga based meditation) or lying down.
- This was done on 2 separate days, with a day in between
- Fasting blood sugar was measured before and immediately after the sessions
- Anxiety and subjective feelings of relaxation were assessed with Speilberg State Anxiety Inventory and Visual Analog Scle
Findings?
Significant differences in fasting blood glucose, STAI scores, and subjective relaxation. This was only seen in the meditation yoga arm.
This has been supported by metanalysis studies like “The Effects of Mindfulness of Glycemic Control in People with Diabetes: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses”. Medicines Sept 2023. This looked at multiple meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials, where mindfulness interventions showed a measured lowering of HbA1c, lower stress, lower depression, and lower anxiety.
How can Biohackr Health help?
- Education. Read our blogs on Blood Sugar.
- CGMs. Know your blood sugar patterns
- Testing. What is your HbA1c? Particularly if you are middle age, Type 2 Diabetes rates go up with age.
- Probiotic. Ours has bacterial strains helpful in glucose control.
- Other treatments like hormone replacement, NAD+, and other modalities may help.
