Health
Anti-aging benefits linked to one surprising health habit
Engaging in a long-term meditation practice could significantly alleviate stress and slow down aging, suggests a new study published in the journal Biomolecules.
Researchers from Maharishi International University (MIU), the University of Siegen, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences studied the effectiveness of transcendental meditation, which is a program where people silently repeat a mantra in their head to achieve deep relaxation.
“These results support other studies indicating that the transcendental meditation technique can reverse or remove long-lasting effects of stress,” co-author Kenneth Walton, a senior researcher at MIU, told Fox News Digital.
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“Lasting effects of stress are now recognized as causing or contributing to all diseases and disorders,” he added.
Engaging in a long-term meditation practice could significantly alleviate stress and slow down aging, suggests a new study. (iStock)
The study included two groups of participants — one ranging from 20 to 30 years old and another ranging from 55 to 72. Half of the participants followed transcendental meditation and a control group did not.
For each participant, the researchers analyzed the expression of genes linked to inflammation and aging, according to a press release from MIU.
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They found that people who practiced transcendental meditation had lower expression of the genes associated with inflammation and aging.
“The lower expression of age-related genes … extend the findings of short-term studies indicating that these practices lead to healthy aging and more resilient adaptation to stress,” Walton said in the release.
“Lasting effects of stress are now recognized as causing or contributing to all diseases and disorders.”
The researchers also analyzed cognitive function via EEG tests. Older practitioners of transcendental meditation were found to have faster processing speeds.
That group also received higher scores on the Brain Integration Scale (BIS), which is a comprehensive measure of cognitive performance.
People who practiced transcendental meditation had lower expression of the genes associated with inflammation and aging. (iStock)
“The findings around cognitive function are particularly exciting,” said co-author Frederick Travis, PhD, head of faculty at Maharishi International University, in the release.
“Both younger and older TM practitioners showed higher scores on the BIS compared to non-meditators, while the older meditators performed on par with young controls,” he stated.
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The third area of focus was hair cortisol and cortisone, which are steroid hormones that serve as biomarkers for long-term stress exposure and other health conditions.
The amount of active cortisol was higher for those who practiced transcendental meditation, the study found.
The researchers analyzed cognitive function via EEG tests, finding that older practitioners of transcendental meditation had faster processing speeds. (iStock)
“Cortisol plays a critical role in the body’s response to stress, and chronically high cortisol levels are associated with a host of age-related health issues, in addition to cognitive decline,” Walton said.
“The reduced cortisol-to-cortisone ratio in meditators suggests they have more adaptive reserve, more resilience, contributing to overall health and longevity.”
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The main limitation in the years-long, cohort study was the lack of a placebo control group, according to Walton.
“These meditators practiced their techniques twice daily for many years, and the control subjects had no similar activity,” he told Fox News Digital. “Also, most subjects spent their years in the same geographical location (Southeast Iowa in the U.S.).”
‘Weightlifting for the brain’
Biohacker Dave Asprey, author of the upcoming book “Heavily Meditated: The Fast Path to Remove Your Triggers, Dissolve Stress, and Activate Inner Peace,” has spent 25 years studying meditation with shamans and gurus, and researching neuroscience.
He agrees that meditation helps to slow the aging process.
“It reduces stress — and the more stress you have that’s not useful stress, like going to the gym or working hard, that shrinks your brain and makes you old,” Asprey said during an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital. “Meditation has been shown in multiple studies to undo those problems.”
“Long-term meditators have brains that can make more electricity than someone who doesn’t meditate — and their brains are more orderly,” the expert said. (iStock)
The biohacker also refers to meditation as “weightlifting for the brain.”
“Long-term meditators have brains that can make more electricity than someone who doesn’t meditate — and their brains are more orderly.”
Meditation could potentially slow and perhaps prevent some types of dementia, according to Asprey.
“There are studies showing that people who meditate are better at excreting toxins,” he added.
Asprey emphasized that meditation starts not in the mind, but in the body.
“There are profound results showing that meditation can do much better than antidepressants.”
For those who are just getting started, he recommends trying a body scan to calm the nervous system.
“For this, you breathe in deeply for four seconds and breathe out for eight seconds,” he said. “Focus on your toes, then your ankles, then your calves, then your knees — and you slowly put all of your awareness in each part of your body.”
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“Learning that meditation is an embodied practice versus a mental practice can shift it for everyone when they’re just getting going.”
Some studies have shown that the right form of meditation or breath work can have effects that exceed pharmaceuticals, according to Asprey.
One of the biggest myths is that all meditation is the same or that all meditation is good for everyone, the expert noted. (iStock)
“There are profound results that meditation can do much better than antidepressants,” he said. “That said, if you’re on a medication and you start meditating, you should tell your doctor and probably not go off the drugs without some support.”
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One of the biggest myths is that all meditation is the same or that all meditation is good for everyone, Asprey noted.
“The normal meditation that was designed for farmers isn’t going to work if you’re a warrior — and it’s okay if it doesn’t work. It doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.”
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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