According to a new study, a day of intensive meditation would be enough to counter the effects of stress and restore the changes it had caused in the epigenome.
An exciting new field of medical research, epigenetics designates this new discipline which seeks to explain how the acquired can transform our genes. For example, even though identical twins share the same DNA, they remain biologically distinct and have varying disease risks because their environmental sensitivity and lifestyle vary. These epigenetic mechanisms are notably linked to methylation, ie a form of gene modification which corresponds to the addition of methyl groups to certain DNA bases.
Several studies have shown that psychological stress can modify an individual’s epigenome: the latter then becomes more at risk of developing certain psychopathologies and chronic diseases.
A new studyconducted by researchers from CNRS, Inserm and the University of Wisconsin Madison, and published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunityhowever, shows that these stress-related epigenetic changes are not only reversible, but also that the epigenome can be modified by the intensive practice of meditation.
61 methylation sites altered by meditation
To explore the role of intensive meditation on the epigenome, the researchers focused on the profile of 17 volunteers who had been practicing meditation for at least 3 years for at least 30 minutes a day, and on the profile of a control group. .
The participants’ blood cells were collected before and after this day of intensive practice and more than 400,000 methylation sites were studied. The data was then compared to that of the control group, which was offered various leisure activities in the same environment and for the same duration.
The researchers then observed in the group of meditators significant changes in 61 methylation sites following this intensive day of practice. These sites are evenly distributed across the genome and are primarily involved in immune cell metabolism and aging. They are generally located upstream of genes or in transcription factor binding sites. On the other hand, no significant change was observed in the control group.
For the researchers behind this discovery, this therefore shows that “certain methylation profiles of clinical interest react rapidly to meditative practice, opening up new perspectives on the therapeutic potential of these practices”. In addition, “it contributes to advancing the field of epigenetics by highlighting the reactivity of certain methylation sites usually considered to be relatively stable”.
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