For the first time, scientists have found clear biological evidence that meditation and support groups can affect us on a cellular level.
Now researchers in Canada have found the first evidence to suggest that support groups that encourage meditation and yoga can actually alter the cellular activity of cancer survivors.
Their study, which was published in the journal Cancer , is one of the first to suggest that a mind-body connection really does exist.
The team found that the telomeres – the protein caps at the end of our chromosomes that determine how quickly a cell ages – stayed the same length in cancer survivors who meditated or took part in support groups over a three-month period.
On the other hand, the telomeres of cancer survivors who didn’t participate in these groups shortened during the three-month study.
But it’s a pretty huge first step towards understanding more about how our mental state affects our health. And it’s part of a growing body of research out there – a separate group of Italian scientists published in PLOS ONE also showed that mindfulness training can change the structure of our brains.