A new study has found that meditation helped African-American teens lower their risk for heart disease. The ancient practice of meditation which focuses on the mind-body connection was found to significantly lower the blood pressure of the teens in the study. BET reports:
Meditation, an ancient practice that focuses on the mind-body connection, has plenty of health benefits. Whether it’s practicing yoga, tai-chi or sitting in a corner and clearing your mind, past research has suggested that it has helped those with arthritis, asthma, chronic pain, depression, insomnia, high-blood pressure, cancer, HIV/AIDS and heart disease.
But don’t think that meditation is just for older folks — it’s for young people, too.
A recent study from Georgia Health Sciences University Institute of Public and Preventive Health found that meditation helped African-American teens lower their risk for heart disease.
Of the 62 teens in the study, half of them were taught transcendental meditation, which is a simple procedure of sitting comfortably for 15 to 20 minutes twice each day with your eyes closed. The other half were only given education on how to lower their blood pressure. Researchers found that those who meditated twice a day for 15 minutes each for four months had significantly lower left ventricle mass than those who did not. Higher mass is an indicator of future heart disease.
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