Meditation in its many forms – tai chi, yoga, TM, zazen, etc. – has been ascribed dozens of physical and mental benefits, from regulating your menstrual cycles to enhancing your creativity. The latest research indicates that these mind-body interventions (MBI) may be triggering quite a bit more than a mere squirt of serotonin or a lower pulse rate.

An analysis of over a decade's worth of studies – featuring 846 participants over 11 years – concludes that MBIs can actually 'reverse' the molecular reactions in our DNA which cause ill-health and depression. The review revealed a pattern in the molecular changes which happen to the body as a result of various methods of meditation, and made clear just how those changes benefit our mental and physical health. In short, MBIs affect gene expression – the way that genes activate to produce proteins which influence your overall biological make-up.

Under normal circumstances, and absent any regular practice of mindfulness, people exposed to stressful events have their sympathetic nervous systems triggered. (Back in school your teachers referred to this as your “fight or flight” mechanism.) This in turn increases production of a molecule called NF-kB, which regulates how our genes are expressed. This reaction produces inflammation-causing cytokines – proteins good to have in a fight or flight situation, but responsible for accelerated aging, depression and a greater risk of cancer in the long term.

But just the opposite occurs in the systems of people who practice MBIs, according to the study. Their production of NF-kB and cytokines decreases, and that leads to a reversal of the pro-inflammatory gene expression pattern and a reduction in the risk of inflammation-related diseases and conditions.

"Millions of people around the world already enjoy the health benefits of mind-body interventions like yoga or meditation, but what they perhaps don't realize is that these benefits begin at a molecular level and can change the way our genetic code goes about its business,” said lead investigator Ivana Buric from the Brain, Belief and Behavior Lab in Coventry University's Center for Psychology, Behavior and Achievement.

"These activities are leaving what we call a molecular signature in our cells, which reverses the effect that stress or anxiety would have on the body by changing how our genes are expressed. Put simply, MBIs cause the brain to steer our DNA processes along a path which improves our wellbeing.”

Next steps? More research is needed to understand these effects in greater depth, and calculatehow they compare with other healthy interventions like exercise or nutrition.

The research was published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.