Scientists have found a correlation between the monks’ diverse gut microbiome and their lower rates of anxiety, despair, and cardiovascular disease. A small comparative research published recently in General Psychiatry indicated that long-term, consistent deep meditation practice may help control the gut flora and lower the risk of physical and mental disorders.
Studying the gut bacteria of Tibetan Buddhist monks revealed striking differences from those of their non-monastic peers, including a lower risk of anxiety, depression, as well as cardiovascular disease.
There is evidence to suggest that the gut microbiota influences mental and behavioral states through the gut-brain axis. The vagus nerve, the central component of the parasympathetic nervous system, regulates several essential biological activities, such as the immunological response, hormone signaling, the stress response, and more.
These Tibetan monks, who are known for their introspective nature, are perfect examples of a more introspective kind of meditation, which is why they were chosen for the group and specimen design. Sample sizes may be tiny, but their scarcity is a result of their dispersed distribution over the globe.
Chronic pain, anxiety, despair, drug misuse, post-traumatic stress, and eating disorders are just some of the many mental health conditions that are being treated with meditation. But the researchers aren’t sure whether it can change the gut microbiota, either.
They tested feces and blood from 37 Tibetan Buddhist monks from three different monasteries, as well as 19 locals from non-religious backgrounds, to find out.
The researchers claim that the practice of meditation in Tibetan Buddhism is a sort of psychological training that has its roots in Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medicinal system. These monks had been practicing for anything from three years to thirty years, at a minimum of two hours every day.
Antibiotics, probiotics, prebiotics, or antifungal medications, all of which have the potential to change the composition of gut bacteria, had not been used by any of the participants in the prior three months. Age, BP, HR, and diet were all comparable between the two groups.
Analysis of stool samples showed that monks and non-monks had drastically different microbial communities. As was to be predicted, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes species predominated in both clusters. Stool samples from monks showed a considerable increase in Bacteroidetes (29% vs. 4%), as well as a high concentration of Megamonas and Faecalibacterium and a disproportionately large number of Prevotella (42% vs.
Meditation may have an effect on some bacteria that may play a role in mental health, as many bacteria richer in the meditation group have been connected with the relief of mental disease.
To determine the chemical processes the microorganisms could be affecting, the researchers used a cutting-edge analytic method. This suggested that the participants who meditated had improved metabolism and various protective anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
Lastly, functional research with the gut microorganisms demonstrated that the monks’ levels of agents linked with a raised risk of cardiovascular illness, such as total cholesterol and apolipoprotein B, were much lower than in their secular neighbors.
It is difficult to make definite or generalizable conclusions from this research since it is observational and the sample size is limited; also, all of the participants were male and they all resided at high elevations. The possible effects on health, meantime, could only be surmised from studies that had already been published.
However, the researchers conclude that further study into the impact of meditation in the prevention and treatment of psychosomatic disease is warranted.
These findings point to the potential health benefits of long-term, profound meditation on gut flora, which would help the body stay in peak condition.
