NEW YORK (Forbes Magazine), September 1, 2008:
FORBESLIFE / Health
By Allison Van Dusen
About six years ago, Sharon Gutterman hit a rough patch. Gutterman, then 60, a West Hartford, Conn.-based consultant who teaches wellness workshops for resident physicians, went to the doctor's office to discover that her blood pressure was high. On top of that, she was feeling a lot of anxiety, so her physician wrote her a prescription for an anti-depressant.
But, before getting the prescription filled, Gutterman did some reading and decided she could probably start feeling better not by popping pills, but through practicing yoga.
Lowers Need For Medication
Studies have shown that yoga can help some people with asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and other conditions to lower the amount of medications they're taking or eliminate their need for them.© iStockphoto
Gutterman's experience is becoming increasingly common, experts say, as patients continue to feel dissatisfied with the effectiveness of conventional medicine and look for new ways to take control of their health. In 2004 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that up to 62% of U.S. adults had used some form of complimentary and alternative medicine in the previous year, including yoga, most often to treat problems such as back pain, colds, neck problems, joint stiffness and anxiety or depression.
But medical research that's been accumulating over the past 10 to 15 years is showing that yoga can provide health benefits that many people may not realize, positively affecting conditions such as heart disease and the symptoms of menopause.
Improves Menopausal Symptoms
A survey by the Yoga Biomedical Trust about the health benefits of yoga showed that of 317 people reporting menopausal disorders, 83% said yoga appeared to help. Many yogis, as well as a growing number of people in the medical community, believe that stress can influence the severity of menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and mood swings. Yoga poses and meditation has been shown to be useful in minimizing the effects of stress © iStockphoto
"As far as preventive medicine, it's as close to one-stop shopping as you can find," says Dr. Timothy McCall, a board-certified specialist in internal medicine and author of
Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing.
Strengthens Bones
Many yoga poses involve weight-bearing actions, which strengthen bones and can help prevent osteoporosis. Some examples include standing poses that put weight on the legs or arm balances that place weight on the wrists. Unpublished research out of California State University, Los Angeles, found that standing poses increased the bone density in the vertebrae of women ages 18 to 65, compared with controls who performed their normal physical activity. © iStockphoto
Dedication Pays Dividends
McCall's own interest in yoga grew slowly. At first he attended classes every other week or so but had trouble finding time to practice yoga at home and didn't see great results. It wasn't until he resolved to get up every morning for one year to do it that he began seeing changes. In a few months, his slouching posture was improving, knots in his upper back were disappearing and he wasn't getting injured as often as he used to when playing tennis and basketball.
Better Lung Capacity
Regular yoga practice improves your posture, preventing your lower ribs from pushing into your abdomen and limiting the amount of air you inhale. It will help you learn to use your abdominal muscles to exhale more fully, allowing you to take in more air on the following breath. Beyond helping people with asthma, research at Khon Kaen University, Thailand shows that even short-term yoga exercise can improve the breathing capacity of those who are young and healthy. © iStockphoto
He also wasn't worrying as much. McCall, who now does yoga poses, breathing exercises, meditation and other practices just about every day, eventually left his medical practice and began investigating yoga's therapeutic potential.
One of the more surprising things McCall has found is that yoga can improve levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. He points to a controlled trial conducted at the Yoga Institute of Santacruz, India, near Mumbai that examined the effects of yoga on 113 patients with coronary artery disease who were taking prescribed medication.
Helps Cholesterol Levels
A number of studies are showing that yoga can lower the levels of blood fats, such as low-density lipoprotein, known as bad cholesterol. The mechanism may be connected to yoga's effect on stress, which can boost cholesterol levels and worsen the ratio of total to high-density lipoprotein or good cholesterol. © iStockphoto
The study showed that those who received instruction on yoga techniques, lifestyle recommendations and a healthy diet had a 23% drop in cholesterol--from 247 to 185--compared with 4% among those who did not. The yoga-practicing group also had a 26% drop in low-density lipoprotein, known as bad cholesterol, compared with 3% in the control group.
Improves Psychological Health
Several studies have shown that yoga can improve measures of psychological health, such as mood and self-esteem. Research out of the Boston University School of Medicine and McLean Hospital last year found that practicing yoga may elevate levels of the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. Since low levels are associated with depression and anxiety, the findings indicate yoga may be a possible treatment option for mental illnesses. © Shutterstock
The mechanism, McCall says, may be connected to yoga's effect on stress, which can boost cholesterol levels and worsen the ratio of total to high-density lipoprotein, or good cholesterol. The weight loss and conditioning that come with regular yoga practice also tend to lower triglyceride levels and boost HDL, high levels of which protect against heart attacks.
Comfort for Cancer Sufferers
Yoga is also getting more attention nowadays for its ability to improve the quality of life of women being treated for breast cancer. A small study at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in 2006 showed that women with breast cancer who participated in yoga classes twice a week at or around the time of their radiation appointments reported better general health after just one week, including a slight improvement in their ability to function socially and less overall fatigue.
Researchers are currently looking at how yoga might affect levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as the immune system of cancer patients, says Lorenzo Cohen, director of the Integrative Medicine Program and professor in the department of behavioral science at the Anderson Cancer Center.
Improves Cancer Patients' Quality of Life
Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have shown that breast cancer patients who perform yoga during treatment can improve the quality of their lives, compared with patients who skip the practice. After just one week of yoga and radiation, patients in the study reported changes in their ability to function socially, lower levels of daytime sleep and lower levels of overall fatigue. © iStockphoto
A new, small study out of Temple University earlier this year also demonstrates the role yoga can play in keeping people on their feet as they age. Researchers found that women enrolled for nine weeks in an Iyengar yoga program designed for people over 65 had faster strides, increased flexibility in their lower extremities and more confidence in their balance and ability to walk. The results are important because falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma among those 65 years and older, according to the CDC.
Improves Balance
Balance becomes particularly important as we age; falls are a leading cause of hip fractures, an injury that can be hard to recover from for older, frail adults. Practicing positions such as the tree pose, in which you place the sole of your foot against your other leg's thigh, can improve your balance. Research out of Temple University this year also shows that Iyengar yoga can help women over 65 increase their confidence in walking and balance.© Shutterstock
"If an individual has a fear of falling they may tend not to move as much," says Roberta Newton, professor in physical therapy at Temple University. "Unfortunately, by not moving, they really increase their chance of falling. Yoga makes individuals feel more comfortable, more confident."
Improves Bowel Function
Along with its ability to relieve stress and improve posture, many yoga poses can help move food and waste products through the bowels, improving their ability to function. Bringing more yogic awareness to the way you eat can help you slow down and swallow less air, which can worsen gas and bloating. © Shutterstock
Getting Started
If you're thinking of starting a yoga program for its medicinal purposes, experts recommend doing some research and, before signing up, talking to an instructor about what his or her class entails and what you hope to get out of it. It's also worth it to check in with your general practitioner. McCall suggests that on your visit you bring along a book illustrating the poses you'll be doing, just in case your doctor isn't a yogi.
Relieves Pain
Studies have found that yoga poses and meditation can reduce the amount of pain associated with arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia and carpal tunnel syndrome, among other conditions. Recent research out of Group Health Cooperative's Center for Health Studies also has shown that yoga appears to be more effective for relieving low back pain than conventional exercise. © Comstock
The Bottom Line
Yoga, of course, can't do everything. For instance, while Gutterman improved her outlook, lost weight and never ended up taking antidepressants, she still had to go on medication to control her blood pressure.
Promotes Weight Loss
Studies have shown that those who begin to regularly practice yoga, particularly the overweight, tend to lose weight. Research out of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center also shows that it may help people between the ages of 45 to 55 from gaining as much weight--a common problem due to the group's declining energy needs and failure to adjust its caloric intake. © Shutterstock
McCall says he gets particularly annoyed when some teachers overstate the practice's benefits, since it turns off skeptics and promotes disbelief of the proven effects, which are impressive on their own.
"The line I like to use is that by itself yoga isn't a cure for many things," says McCall. "But there's almost nothing it can't help."
2008 Forbes.com LLC™
Lowers Need For Medication
Studies have shown that yoga can help some people with asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and other conditions to lower the amount of medications they're taking or eliminate their need for them.© iStockphoto
Gutterman's experience is becoming increasingly common, experts say, as patients continue to feel dissatisfied with the effectiveness of conventional medicine and look for new ways to take control of their health. In 2004 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that up to 62% of U.S. adults had used some form of complimentary and alternative medicine in the previous year, including yoga, most often to treat problems such as back pain, colds, neck problems, joint stiffness and anxiety or depression.
But medical research that's been accumulating over the past 10 to 15 years is showing that yoga can provide health benefits that many people may not realize, positively affecting conditions such as heart disease and the symptoms of menopause.
Improves Menopausal Symptoms
A survey by the Yoga Biomedical Trust about the health benefits of yoga showed that of 317 people reporting menopausal disorders, 83% said yoga appeared to help. Many yogis, as well as a growing number of people in the medical community, believe that stress can influence the severity of menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and mood swings. Yoga poses and meditation has been shown to be useful in minimizing the effects of stress © iStockphoto
"As far as preventive medicine, it's as close to one-stop shopping as you can find," says Dr. Timothy McCall, a board-certified specialist in internal medicine and author of Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing.
Strengthens Bones
Many yoga poses involve weight-bearing actions, which strengthen bones and can help prevent osteoporosis. Some examples include standing poses that put weight on the legs or arm balances that place weight on the wrists. Unpublished research out of California State University, Los Angeles, found that standing poses increased the bone density in the vertebrae of women ages 18 to 65, compared with controls who performed their normal physical activity. © iStockphoto
Dedication Pays Dividends
McCall's own interest in yoga grew slowly. At first he attended classes every other week or so but had trouble finding time to practice yoga at home and didn't see great results. It wasn't until he resolved to get up every morning for one year to do it that he began seeing changes. In a few months, his slouching posture was improving, knots in his upper back were disappearing and he wasn't getting injured as often as he used to when playing tennis and basketball.
Better Lung Capacity
Regular yoga practice improves your posture, preventing your lower ribs from pushing into your abdomen and limiting the amount of air you inhale. It will help you learn to use your abdominal muscles to exhale more fully, allowing you to take in more air on the following breath. Beyond helping people with asthma, research at Khon Kaen University, Thailand shows that even short-term yoga exercise can improve the breathing capacity of those who are young and healthy. © iStockphoto
He also wasn't worrying as much. McCall, who now does yoga poses, breathing exercises, meditation and other practices just about every day, eventually left his medical practice and began investigating yoga's therapeutic potential.
One of the more surprising things McCall has found is that yoga can improve levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. He points to a controlled trial conducted at the Yoga Institute of Santacruz, India, near Mumbai that examined the effects of yoga on 113 patients with coronary artery disease who were taking prescribed medication.
Helps Cholesterol Levels
A number of studies are showing that yoga can lower the levels of blood fats, such as low-density lipoprotein, known as bad cholesterol. The mechanism may be connected to yoga's effect on stress, which can boost cholesterol levels and worsen the ratio of total to high-density lipoprotein or good cholesterol. © iStockphoto
The study showed that those who received instruction on yoga techniques, lifestyle recommendations and a healthy diet had a 23% drop in cholesterol--from 247 to 185--compared with 4% among those who did not. The yoga-practicing group also had a 26% drop in low-density lipoprotein, known as bad cholesterol, compared with 3% in the control group.
Improves Psychological Health
Several studies have shown that yoga can improve measures of psychological health, such as mood and self-esteem. Research out of the Boston University School of Medicine and McLean Hospital last year found that practicing yoga may elevate levels of the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. Since low levels are associated with depression and anxiety, the findings indicate yoga may be a possible treatment option for mental illnesses. © Shutterstock
The mechanism, McCall says, may be connected to yoga's effect on stress, which can boost cholesterol levels and worsen the ratio of total to high-density lipoprotein, or good cholesterol. The weight loss and conditioning that come with regular yoga practice also tend to lower triglyceride levels and boost HDL, high levels of which protect against heart attacks.
Comfort for Cancer Sufferers
Yoga is also getting more attention nowadays for its ability to improve the quality of life of women being treated for breast cancer. A small study at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in 2006 showed that women with breast cancer who participated in yoga classes twice a week at or around the time of their radiation appointments reported better general health after just one week, including a slight improvement in their ability to function socially and less overall fatigue.
Researchers are currently looking at how yoga might affect levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as the immune system of cancer patients, says Lorenzo Cohen, director of the Integrative Medicine Program and professor in the department of behavioral science at the Anderson Cancer Center.
Improves Cancer Patients' Quality of Life
Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have shown that breast cancer patients who perform yoga during treatment can improve the quality of their lives, compared with patients who skip the practice. After just one week of yoga and radiation, patients in the study reported changes in their ability to function socially, lower levels of daytime sleep and lower levels of overall fatigue. © iStockphoto
A new, small study out of Temple University earlier this year also demonstrates the role yoga can play in keeping people on their feet as they age. Researchers found that women enrolled for nine weeks in an Iyengar yoga program designed for people over 65 had faster strides, increased flexibility in their lower extremities and more confidence in their balance and ability to walk. The results are important because falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma among those 65 years and older, according to the CDC.
Improves Balance
Balance becomes particularly important as we age; falls are a leading cause of hip fractures, an injury that can be hard to recover from for older, frail adults. Practicing positions such as the tree pose, in which you place the sole of your foot against your other leg's thigh, can improve your balance. Research out of Temple University this year also shows that Iyengar yoga can help women over 65 increase their confidence in walking and balance.© Shutterstock
"If an individual has a fear of falling they may tend not to move as much," says Roberta Newton, professor in physical therapy at Temple University. "Unfortunately, by not moving, they really increase their chance of falling. Yoga makes individuals feel more comfortable, more confident."
Improves Bowel Function
Along with its ability to relieve stress and improve posture, many yoga poses can help move food and waste products through the bowels, improving their ability to function. Bringing more yogic awareness to the way you eat can help you slow down and swallow less air, which can worsen gas and bloating. © Shutterstock
Getting Started
If you're thinking of starting a yoga program for its medicinal purposes, experts recommend doing some research and, before signing up, talking to an instructor about what his or her class entails and what you hope to get out of it. It's also worth it to check in with your general practitioner. McCall suggests that on your visit you bring along a book illustrating the poses you'll be doing, just in case your doctor isn't a yogi.
Relieves Pain
Studies have found that yoga poses and meditation can reduce the amount of pain associated with arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia and carpal tunnel syndrome, among other conditions. Recent research out of Group Health Cooperative's Center for Health Studies also has shown that yoga appears to be more effective for relieving low back pain than conventional exercise. © Comstock
The Bottom Line
Yoga, of course, can't do everything. For instance, while Gutterman improved her outlook, lost weight and never ended up taking antidepressants, she still had to go on medication to control her blood pressure.
Promotes Weight Loss
Studies have shown that those who begin to regularly practice yoga, particularly the overweight, tend to lose weight. Research out of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center also shows that it may help people between the ages of 45 to 55 from gaining as much weight--a common problem due to the group's declining energy needs and failure to adjust its caloric intake. © Shutterstock
McCall says he gets particularly annoyed when some teachers overstate the practice's benefits, since it turns off skeptics and promotes disbelief of the proven effects, which are impressive on their own.
"The line I like to use is that by itself yoga isn't a cure for many things," says McCall. "But there's almost nothing it can't help."
2008 Forbes.com LLC™
