Studies have shown that a specific type of yoga involving chanting and meditation can help provide stress relief for caregivers taking care of relatives with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Now, a new study explains how.
The Study
The study found that doing Kirtan Kriya Meditation for twelve minutes a day affects genes in a way that results in less stress and, consequently, in less inflammation. Specifically, meditation causes genes linked to stress to produce fewer proteins known to trigger inflammation.
Reducing Stress
Around five million Americans care for someone with dementia, and on average about half of those caregivers succumb to clinical depression. And many of those caregivers are older adults who are very vulnerable to stress and the problems it causes. So if meditating for a few minutes a day can help cut stress, that's a big deal.
Especially since there will be more and more people suffering from dementia in the coming decades, finding ways to help caregivers is more important than ever.