title: Effect of a comprehensive yoga-based lifestyle modification program on lipid peroxidation.
abstract: Oxidative stress contributes to the process of aging as well as a variety of chronic degenerative diseases. There are indications that psychological stress increases oxidative stress whereas relaxation decreases it. We have measured the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in blood as an indicator of oxidative stress at the beginning and at the end of a comprehensive yoga-based lifestyle modification program (YLMP). The data was collected from 104 subjects (59 male, 45 female), 19-71 years of age (mean +/- SD, 41.2 +/- 14.6 years). The YLMP consisted of a nine-day educational out-patient course on the theory and practice of yoga and included, besides a daily one-hour practice of physical postures (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama), lecture and films on yoga, stress management and nutrition, practice of meditation and shavasana (a relaxation technique), and individual counseling. Venous blood samples were collected on the first and last day of the course. The serum concentration of TBARS decreased significantly from 1.72 +/- 0.72 nmoles/ml on day 1 to 1.57 +/- 0.72 nmoles/ml on day 10 (P<0.05). The study suggests that a brief low cost lifestyle intervention based on yoga reduces oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. raj3kr@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: Raj Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.forename: Rooma Basu
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Ramaprabhu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vempati
authors.forename: Ramesh Lal
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Bijlani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D001945:Breathing Exercises; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D008019:Life Style; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011187:Posture; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D015013:Yoga
chemical_list: D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances