Yoga helps reduce severity of depression, says new study
NEW DELHI: As depression is fast becoming a medical emergency of sorts, affecting people of all age groups, cutting across gender, social strata and cultural backgrounds, a new study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has revealed that Yoga helps reduce the severity of depression.
The study found that introducing yoga into lifestyle results in a decrease in cortisol, the main stress hormone, and reduces levels of certain inflammatory molecules in the body as well as brain, thereby reducing oxidative stress, said Rima Dada, Professor in-charge of Laboratory of Molecular Reproduction and Genetics, Department of Anatomy at AIIMS.
It also slows the pace of aging by reducing levels of oxidative and psychological stress and aids in maintaining the length of telomere, Dada said. Telomere are DNA sequences which lie at the ends of chromosomes and act as biological clock.
"The study which was published in the 'Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience' journal found that meditation and yoga could reduce severity of depression and lead to improvement in systemic biomarkers of neuroplasticity," she said.
The study was conducted by the Laboratory for Molecular Reproduction and Genetics in collaboration with Department of Psychiatry.