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Practising meditation could help improve a person’s gut bacteria and in turn reap benefits for their physical and mental health, according to a new study.
Regular and deep meditation, performed for several years, may help to “enrich” a person’s gut microbiota, according to the research.
This could help lower the risks of physical and mental ill health, including anxiety, depression and heart disease, academics said.
The gut microbiota can influence the brain and impact mood and behaviour through the microbiota-gut-brain axis, academics from China and Pakistan wrote in the journal General Psychiatry.
What is the microbiome? Doctors explain how gut bacteria regulate body
The research team said that the question of whether meditation can influence gut microbiota is of “increasing interest” as they set out to examine Tibetan monks compared to their non-religious neighbours.
They examined blood and stool samples from 37 Tibetan Buddhist monks from three temples and 19 of their neighbouring residents.
The monks had been practising a deep form of meditation for at least two hours a day for between three and 30 years.

Experts found that the microorganisms in the gut – including bacteria, fungi and viruses – differed substantially between the two groups.
Several of the organisms “were significantly enriched in the meditation group”, researchers found.
“Collectively, several bacteria enriched in the meditation group were associated with the alleviation of mental illness, suggesting that meditation can influence certain bacteria that may have a role in mental health,” the authors wrote.
What TCM has known for centuries: ‘new’ brain-gut connection
The researchers added that: “Long term meditation enhanced the body’s immune function and reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease.”
They did stress, however, that the study numbers were small and all of the monks and Tibetans involved lived at a high altitude, making it hard to draw generalisations from the findings.
“Long-term traditional Tibetan Buddhist meditation may positively impact physical and mental health,” they wrote.
“We confirmed that the gut microbiota composition differed between the monks and control subjects.
How meditation can make Hong Kong healthier
“The microbiota enriched in monks was associated with a reduced risk of anxiety, depression and cardiovascular disease and could enhance immune function.
“Overall, these results suggest that meditation plays a positive role in psychosomatic conditions and well-being.”
It comes as a separate study, published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found that frequent visits to parks and other green spaces are linked to a lower use of certain prescription medicines among people who live in cities.
The new study examined data on 6,000 randomly selected residents of Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa in Finland, including information on visits to green and blue spaces as well as their current prescription medicines.
Nature is a great healer – so go outdoors and get a breath of fresh air
Researchers from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare found that people who visited green spaces three to four times a week had 33 per cent lower odds of using mental health medications.
They also had a 36 per cent reduced risk of using blood pressure medicine, and 26 per cent lower odds of using asthma medication, compared to people who visited a green space just once a week.
“Higher frequency of green space visits was associated with lower frequency of psychotropic, antihypertensive and asthma medication use, and the association was not dependent on socioeconomic status,” they concluded.
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Wellness

How to improve mental and physical health in 2 simple ways: meditate and get outdoors, studies suggest

Spending time outdoors in green spaces has been linked to a lower use of prescription drugs for mental health, asthma and hypertension. Photo: Shutterstock

Buddhist monks meditate in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Regular meditation has been linked to improved gut bacteria – which can stave off poor mental and physical health. Photo: Shutterstock

How to keep your heart healthy as Lisa Marie Presley’s sudden death underscores the importance of low cholesterol, diet, exercise and much more

(FILES) In this file photo taken on May 7, 2015 US actress and singer Lisa Marie Presley arrives for the premiere of ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ at the Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California. - The singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of the late Elvis Presley, died on Thursday after she was rushed to a hospital in California following a cardiac arrest, US media reported. She was 54 years old.
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One of the best ways to prevent a heart attack and maintain a healthy heart is to protect your arteries against plaque build-up and inflammation. Photo: Shutterstock

Lisa Marie Presley at the premiere of “Mad Max: Fury Road” at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, US, on May 7, 2015. Photo: AFP

Cardiac arrest occurs when a heart stops beating suddenly because something overrides the heart’s normal, working rhythm. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Myles Chan. Photo: Dr Myles Chan

Dr Adrian Cheong. Photo: Long Guan

Dr Boon Lim.

How to live a longer, healthier life: 6 expert tips and tricks, from being happy and getting enough sleep to exercising more and not stressing out

Experts reveal what six habits you should introduce to your lifestyle to gift yourself a longer, healthier life. Photo: Shutterstock

Eating a diet of mostly plants has been proven to reduce our risk of chronic diseases. Photo: Shutterstock

Veganuary happens in January, and there is no better time to remind ourselves of the benefits of having a plant-based diet. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Anna Herby is the nutrition education programme manager at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in the United States. Photo: Anna Herby

Having regular health check-ups can help flag issues early so you can treat them more easily. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Lily Wong is a family doctor at The London Medical Clinic in Hong Kong. Photo: Lily Wong

Aim to get a minimum of seven to nine hours of quality sleep a night. Photo: Shutterstock

To live a longer and healthier life, learn to de-stress. Yoga, meditation and breathwork all help to ease anxiety. Photo: Shutterstock

Meditation, exercise, journaling, practising mental hygiene (as you do dental hygiene), mindful play – 5 experts’ tips for good mental health

Carol Liang from Mind HK has a simple message for better mental health. Photo: Mind HK

Engage in “mindful play” such as by going for a hike, says psychotherapist Nivedita Ramanujam, one of five Hong Kong experts the Post asked for advice on how to maintain good mental health. World Mental Health Day 2022 falls on October 10. Photo:  Shutterstock 

The average time a Hong Kong government psychiatrist has to spend with a patient is between five and seven minutes. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Vanessa Wong recommends doing things that make us laugh out loud, and separating our work and home lives. 

Minal Mahtani tells us to be aware of our inner critic as it can overload us with self-criticism. 

Nivedita Ramanujam recommends entering a state of “creativity, energised focus and contentment” by hiking or painting. Photo: Nivedita Ramanujam

Carol Liang from Mind HK says we need to talk about mental health to remove the stigma surrounding it. Photo: Mind HK

Dr Brent Horner says we should always try to talk to someone and not worry about admitting to getting professional help. Photo: courtesy Dr Brent Horner

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Regular meditation may improve a person’s gut bacteria, which can help lower the risks of conditions including anxiety and heart disease, one study finds
Another shows a link between frequent visits to green spaces and less use of prescription medicines for mental health, asthma and hypertension


Meditation and frequent visits to green spaces have potential benefits that can lead to better mental and physical health, and lower use of certain prescription medicines, studies find.


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Meditation & Mindfulness

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Mental health