Yoga shown to power the immune system and reduce oxidative stress

Practicing yoga isn’t just good for your body and mind, it also powers up the immune system, reduces oxidative stress and increases antioxidant levels. Reducing oxidative stress and increasing levels of antioxidants are all key ways of preventing aging, cancer cardiac disease and many other diseases.

Oxidative stress accelerates aging, can cause cancer, heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure and many other lifestyle disorders. This is why it is essential to reduce oxidative stress.

Daily activitity and a healthy diet reduces oxidative stress

Physical activity on a daily basis is a beneficial tool in reducing oxidative stress. Green vegetables, fruits, food supplements and vitamins are also effective in reducing oxidative stress as they contain higher quantities of antioxidants.

Over the last decade, many clinical trials have proven that practicing yoga also plays a beneficial role in reducing oxidative stress and enhancing levels of antioxidants in the body by biochemical pathways.

In their review article published in the Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, yoga researchers reviewed all published articles related to the effects of yoga on oxidative stress. The articles have all been published in reputed scientific journals.

Yoga reduces stress levels in diabetes and kidney patients

The studies focused on the reduction of oxidative stress as well as the enhancement of antioxidant status following yogic practices in healthy males, females and of diabetes patients, hypertensive patients, and kidney patients.

The recipe for a healthy life

The authors describe the improvements in total antioxidants status, and antioxidant like substances such as reduced glutathione, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. The tudy also outlines improvements in some enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione – S – transferases. The researchers also discovered there were biochemical mechanisms behind these improvements. They concluded: Practice yoga regularly and keep yourself healthy!

 

The Editors

Articles signed by the editors were written in a collective effort.

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