Regular Yoga Practice Improves Antioxidant Status, Immune Function, and Stress Hormone Releases in Young Healthy XXXX : A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Pilot Study.

@entity1 @entity2625 @entity2041 @entity6172 @entity842 @entity750 @entity1741 @entity37336 @entity2798
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to highlight the beneficial effects of yoga practice on bio-parameters, such as oxidative stress, antioxidant components, immune functions, and secretion of stress hormones, in healthy young @entity1 . STUDY DESIGN: This study was conducted on healthy volunteers recruited from among university students, who were divided into two groups: a control (no yoga intervention, n=13) group and a yoga (n=12) group. Yoga practice was with an instructor for 90 minutes once a week spread over 12 weeks, with recommendations to practice daily at home for 40 minutes with the help of a @entity1741 . The yoga program consisted of yoga body poses (asanas), exercises involving awareness, @entity2798 of breath (pranayama), and meditational practices. Whole blood samples were collected when the volunteers had fasted for 8 hours at 0 and 12 weeks. The oxidative stress/antioxidant components, immune-related cytokines, and stress hormones were evaluated in serum or plasma. RESULTS: Serum levels of @entity842 , @entity37336 , and lipid @entity2625 were significantly decreased by yoga practice (p<0.05 or p=0.01), whereas serum total @entity2041 ( @entity6172 ) contents, activities of @entity6172 -peroxidase, and @entity6172 -s-transferase were remarkably increased after yoga practice compared with the control group (p<0.05 or p=0.01). Yoga practice also significantly increased immune-related cytokines, such as interleukin-12, and interferon-y, in serum (p<0.05 or p=0.01). Yoga practice significantly reduced the plasma levels of adrenalin (p<0.05) and increased plasma levels of @entity750 compared with the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Regular yoga practice remarkably attenuated oxidative stress and improved antioxidant levels of the body. Moreover, yoga beneficially affected stress hormone releases as well as partially improved immune function.
