Taking up yoga may help ease inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and a host of other aging-related health problems. In a recent study, scientists discovered that women who regularly practiced yoga had lower levels of interleukin-6 (a marker of inflammation).
For the study, researchers divided 50 women (average age: 41) into two groups: yoga novices and yoga experts (defined as having practiced yoga one or two times weekly for at least two years and at least twice weekly for the previous year). The researchers then conducted a series of experiments in which the women performed tasks designed to increase their stress levels (such as solving difficult math problems).
Analyzing blood samples from the participants, the researchers observed that the novices' interleukin-6 levels were 41 percent higher than those of the yoga experts. What's more, yoga practitioners showed smaller increases in interleukin-6 after undergoing the stressful experiences.
