Experts are now telling us that meditation could very well help prevent heart disease. Amazing how each one of us could set aside twenty or thirty minutes each day to meditate and calm our minds, and that activity could provide long term benefits such as improving our heart health.
Yet Another Potential Benefit for Meditation
This 7,000 year practice apparently is indicating a potential of reducing several risk factors of heart disease, as reported in a recent review put out by the American Heart Association (AHA). However, the AHA has urged people and emphasized to them that they should not let meditation take place of all the traditional methods of maintain heat health. They are cautioning people to not neglect the current heart disease prevention measures as directed by their doctors. People still need to enjoy heart-healthy lifestyles as before.
It is amazing how over $200 billion is spent every year on people who suffer from heart disease in the United States. So as one may imagine, there is a lot of interest and motivation for finding inexpensive methods for lowering the risk of heart disease. This is especially true if these methods are deemed as effective and helpful. [Mind Games: 7 Reasons You Should Meditate]
The good news now that one of those potential inexpensive options could be meditation. Currently, it is estimated that around 8 percent of all Americans are practicing some type of meditation, as reported in a National Health Interview Survey, which was administered by National Institutes of Health (NIH). And they are also reported that around 17 percent of patients suffering from heart disease are expressing some interest in taking part in clinical trials that are examining meditation and its potential effects on heart disease.
All Research on Meditation Effects were Examined
In order to get a clearer understanding of how meditating could lower the risk factors of heart disease, AHA professionals have reviewed all research that was available. They examined studies that addressed several kinds of meditation, including Zen meditation, mindful meditation, transcendental meditation, and relaxation response. Generally speaking, most all types of meditation evaluated by the researchers are generally practiced twice or once daily, for durations of 20 minutes or more.
Scientists discovered that the act of meditation could very well be connected to reduced levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. Other positive effects reported was improved and higher sleep quality and improved health overall. To be sure, researchers have known that anxiety, stress, depression and lack of sleep are factors that are believe to be associated with heart disease. Meditation could even help people to stop or at least reduce their smoking habit, the study discovered.
Additionally, this practice could help reduce high blood pressure, but researchers cautioned that there is not yet sufficient evidence to make that claim at this point.
This research review stressed that even though there is a lot of evidence supporting the theory that meditation could lower someone’s risk of having a heart attack, they simple need additional data and research before they can make that claim.
Overall, this review learned that meditation might provide a “possible benefit” of reducing the risk of heart disease, but additional research would be required to make that conclusion definitively. However, since meditating poses virtually no risks at all and could very well be providing several health benefits, there is no reason to not perform daily meditation.
