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https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2016/mar/03/could-me...
Do people who meditate age more slowly? It seems unlikely on the face
of it. How could sitting immobile with ones eyes closed, perhaps
focusing on the breath, possibly keep the Grim Reaper at bay? That
said, the Buddha surely the archetypal meditator is reputed to have
lived to 80, which must have been an exceptionally ripe old age in 5th
century BCE India. And according to Buddhist scriptures, even after 80
years in this realm of existence, in the end it wasnt old age that
nished him o but food poisoning.
Two and a half millennia later there is a small but growing body of
evidence that regular meditation really can slow ageing at least at the
cellular level. A commonly used proxy for cellular ageing is the length
of telomeres, the DNA and protein caps that protect the ends of each
chromosome during cell division. These shorten slightly every time
the chromosome replicates, until eventually the cell can no longer
divide, becoming senescent or undergoing apoptosis the cellular
equivalent of suicide. Having shorter telomeres in your cells is
associated with the onset of many age-related diseases, including
hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia.
Several lifestyle factors have been found to accelerate telomere
shortening, such as poor diet, lack of sleep, smoking, drinking and a
sedentary lifestyle.
Chronic stress is also known to accelerate the shortening of telomeres.
A study published last month found that long-term meditators had a
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03/03/2016, 16:19
Could meditation really help slow the ageing process? | Science | ...
https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2016/mar/03/could-me...
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03/03/2016, 16:19
Could meditation really help slow the ageing process? | Science | ...
https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2016/mar/03/could-me...
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Theres cause for optimism, though, that even beginners can start
protecting their telomeres from the ravages of time and cell division. A
study published in 2013 found that just 15 minutes meditation in
novices had immediate eects on the expression of many genes, for
example increasing the activity of the gene that makes telomerase and
reducing the activity of genes involved in inammatory and stress
responses. Its amazing what sitting still with your eyes closed and
focusing on your breath can do for your cells.
James Kingsland is the author of Siddharthas Brain: Unlocking the
Ancient Science of Englightenment, which will be published on 26 April in
the US and 2 June in the UK
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Could meditation really help slow the ageing process? | Science | ...
https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2016/mar/03/could-me...
Topics
Ageing Meditation Health & wellbeing
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