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Meditation Boosts Immune System

October 29, 2014 by School of Medicine Webmaster

Reprinted from Web MD 6 Immune System Busters and Boosters

hEveryone has some stress; it’s part of life. If stress drags on for a long time, it makes you more vulnerable to illness, from colds to serious diseases.

Chronic stress exposes your body to a steady stream of stress hormones that suppress the immune system.

You may not be able to get rid of your stress, but you can get better at managing it.

  • Learn to meditate.
  • Slow down.
  • Connect with other people.
  • Work out to blow off steam.

Counseling is a big help, too.

Easing stress lowers levels of a stress hormone. It also helps you sleep better, which improves immune function.

People who meditate regularly may have healthier immune system responses, some studies show. In one experiment*, people who meditated over an 8-week period made more antibodies to a flu vaccine than people who didn’t meditate. And they still showed an increased immune system response 4 months later.

*Psychosom Med. 2003 Jul-Aug;65(4):564-70

Filed Under: Monthly Musings