Researchers Link Mindfulness to Healthier Cells and Longer Telomeres and Suggest Attention May Increase Longevity
Not only does mindfulness improve mental health, researchers at UCSF say it may also improve cellular health by protecting chromosomes from damage and decay… So at the end of the day – paying more attention might lengthen your lifespan.
Loads of research links mindfulness to decreased depression and increased happiness, but could the simple act of paying attention to the moment protect cells from degradation?
Could paying attention to life actually lengthen your life?
Well, according to a team of Nobel Prize winning scientists who study telomeres – mindfulness and longevity may well go hand in hand.
Telomeres are caps that protect the ends of chromosomes from damage. Telomere length decreases with age, and factors like physical or mental stress can accelerate this shortening.
And unfortunately, shortened telomeres are associated with an increased risk of dying.
Would regular mindfulness – paying attention to the present moment - have any influence on telomere length?
The Study
- Researchers recruited 239 women between the ages of 50 and 65 and asked each subject to rate how much their mind wandered during everyday tasks and how well and how often they stayed focused and ‘in the moment’ with everyday tasks.
- The subjects were then tested for psychological stress and measures of well-being
- The researchers then measured each subject’s telomere lengths.
The Results
Even after controlling for confounding factors like stress, women who reported more present moment awareness had longer telomeres than women who reported less mindfulness during everyday tasks.
The Commentary
Lead researcher Elissa Epel, PhD, discussed the significance of the results, writing, "Our attentional state—where our thoughts rest at any moment – turns out to be a fascinating window into our well-being. It may be affected by our emotional state as well as shape our emotional state…This study was a first step and suggests it's worth delving into understanding the link between mind wandering and cell health to get a better understanding of whether there is causality and reversibility. For example, does reducing mind wandering promote better cell health? Or are these relationships just reflective of some underlying long-standing characteristics of a person?"
Previous research has demonstrated that mindfulness meditation is associated with an increase in levels of the enzyme that protects telomeres, called telomerase.
Read the full research findings in the Nov 15th edition of Clinical Psychological Science
More like this
Compassion Training Improves Adolescent Mental and Physical Health
Teens in the Georgia foster care system given 6 weeks of cognitively based compassion training made greater improvements in mental and physical health than teens given no such training.
Researchers Debunk Willpower and Teach the Secret of Easier Weight Loss
Researchers say that people with high self-control don't really have more willpower, they just stop enjoying junk food faster. Fortunately, by paying close attention to the amount consumed, even people with low self-control can become sated faster.
Meditation and Mindfulness Works as Well as Anti Depressant Medication to Prevent Depression Relapse
Mindfulness, a technique out of Buddhist meditation that helps people stay focused on the present moment, works as well as anti depressant medications in helping people with depression avoid relapse.
Finally Some Good News! Gene Linked to Increased Addiction Risk Also Linked to Extreme Longevity
Researchers say that people with the DRD4 7R gene are at an increased risk of ADHD and addiction but also more likely to live to extreme old age.
The Link between Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and Depression
Wondering what’s causing your depression? Have any concussions or other forms of brain injury in your past? Well, if you do it might explain the way you’re feeling, because having a brain injury, even a minor one, greatly increases your risks of depression – even years after the fact.