How to Switch Off Stress Genes
Try Yoga or Meditation to Activate the Relaxation Response
Aug 16, 2008
We all know that yoga and meditation are good for our bodies and our minds. Now, a recent study brings to light the how of this phenomenon. Practices that trigger the "relaxation response" cause the body to respond differently to stress; specifically, those genes turned on or off by stress are actually turned the opposite way.
Practices to Ameliorate Stress
To trigger the relaxation response in your own life, try meditation, t'ai chi, yoga, Qi Gong, repetitive prayer, biofeedback, guided imagery, or progressive muscle relaxation. Not only can stress be managed through relaxation of this type, but the effect on gene expression is seen in both long-time practitioners and in people new to the techniques. So begin today for better health!
The Study Says
The study, entitled "Genomic Counter-Stress Changes Induced by the Relaxation Response" and published in the July 2, 2008 journal PLoS One, was carried out by researchers at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. The study's scale was small, with just 19 long-term practitioners, 19 healthy controls, and 20 new practitioners studied for gene expression. Those new to relaxation response activation engaged in eight weeks of training.
Over 2,200 genes were activated differently in the long-term practitioners in comparison to the controls and 1,561 genes in the new practitioners compared to the long-time ones. 433 of the differently activated genes were shared among both short-term and long-term practitioners.
Dr. Herbert Benson, the co-senior author of the study, acknowledges that we are all under stress. Greater than half of all American adults, in fact, acknowledge experiencing high levels of stress on a daily basis. To protect our health against the possible harm of that stress, Benson advises using one of the techniques to elicit the relaxation response daily for a duration of 20 minutes.
The Stress Circuit
The effects of stress, especially chronic stress, on health are nothing to sneeze at. To understand how health is impacted by stress, we must first understand the responses that are triggered in the body by stress. The hypothalamus of the brain releases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). CRH results in the release of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) into the bloodstream, and ACTH cues the adrenal glands to secrete several hormonal compounds, like epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol. This set of processes are referred to as the "stress circuit," and affect systems throughout the body, including heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, mood, reproduction, growth, and immunity, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Relaxation Response Defined
But just what is this "relaxation response" we are talking about? According to Dr. Benson, it is "a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress... and the opposite of the fight or flight response." During chronic stress, the stress circuit fails to shut off and the body is in a constant state of physiological arousal. The relaxation response brings the body back to its normal state and in this way contributes on a gene level to improved health and wellness.
