A claim you hear on longevity podcasts
The claim checked: Five minutes of meditation a day for 28 days lowers IL-6 Hear it at 54:13
One trial found a short mindfulness course lowered IL-6, a blood marker of inflammation. Two trials of brief daily practice found no change. Five found small, mixed or longer-course effects. We did not find the trial described on tape in PubMed.
Computed from 8 studies that test this point, each judged by two readers, in full. 10 more studies are waiting for a full read and do not count yet.
“we've shown in a large randomized control trial that on average 5 minutes a day if you do it for 28 days is sufficient to produce a significant decrease in IL6”
other primary study · 2016
“As predicted, mindfulness training predicted greater reductions in pro-inflammatory immune correlates of depression (IL-6, TNF-α) than a contact control group pre- to post-assessment.”
Brief mindfulness training reduces salivary IL-6 and TNF-α in young women with depressive symptomatology. J Consult Clin Psychol
Who: 64 female college students with mild to moderate depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥ 16), primarily Caucasian
PMID 27281371
controlled trial · 2019
“Additionally, no significant differences between the MBSR(BC) and usual-care groups were observed for change over time in IL-6 levels (p = .76).”
A Large Randomized Trial: Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Breast Cancer (BC) Survivors on Salivary Cortisol and IL-6. Biol Res Nurs
Who: Breast cancer survivors (stage 0-III, mean age 56.6), women, after surgery and adjuvant treatment, Tampa FL
PMID 30079756
pooled analysis · 2022
“Results showed MBIs had a small effect on CD4+ (SMCD = .09, 95% CI [-.05 – .22]), CRP (SMCD = -.14, 95% CI [-.26 – -.01]) and TL (SMCD = .12, 95% CI [.00 – .24]), a moderate effect on IL-6 (SMCD = -.35, 95% CI [-.67 – -.03]), and a large effect on TA (SMCD = .81, 95% CI [.17 – 1.46]) at post-intervention”
The effect of mindfulness-based interventions on immunity-related biomarkers: a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clin Psychol Rev
Who: 48 RCTs of mindfulness-based interventions (MBSR, MBCT, MAPs and similar) in clinical and non-clinical adult samples, with active, waitlist or usual-care controls
PMID 35078038
other primary study · 2021
“The present study demonstrated that MBHP-Educa intervention causes a significant reduction on the levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in the health MBHP-Educa group when compared to the active control group from pre-to post-analysis.”
Mindfulness meditation training effects on quality of life, immune function and glutathione metabolism in service healthy female teachers: A randomized pilot clinical trial. Brain Behav Immun Health
Who: healthy female in-service public school teachers in São Paulo, Brazil (mean age about 43-46)
PMID 34761243
pooled analysis · 2020
“The other two studies reported that the levels of salivary IL-6 in an MBI group with depressive symptoms significantly decreased within the group between baseline and post-treatment ( p < 0.05) [ 68 ], and the levels of plasma IL-6 AUC concentration in an MBSR group with GAD significantly decreased compared to an education group during the TSST ( p = 0.036) [ 26 ].”
Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Biomarkers and Low-Grade Inflammation in Patients with Psychiatric Disorders: A Meta-Analytic Review. Int J Mol Sci
Who: patients with psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, GAD, ADHD, PTSD, alcohol dependence, sleep disturbance), mean age 42.6, 64% women
PMID 32260096
pooled analysis · 2023
“Nevertheless, descriptively, there was some indication that MBIs could affect inflammation-related biomarkers less than stress-related and indirect biomarkers.”
Only Small Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Biomarker Levels of Inflammation and Stress: A Preregistered Systematic Review and Two Three-Level Meta-Analyses. Int J Mol Sci
Who: Psychiatric patients and healthy, stressed or at-risk adults (mean age 37.1 years, 60% women) in single-arm, non-randomized and randomized trials of mindfulness-based interventions; physical illness excluded
PMID 36901875
controlled trial · 2013
“In contrast the difference in effectiveness for IL-6 was small and in the wrong direction (0.15, se=0.16), with an effect size of 0.05 standard deviations (se=0.06) and an exploratory p-value of 0.36.”
Workplace based mindfulness practice and inflammation: a randomized trial. Brain Behav Immun
Who: 186 university faculty and staff (about 87% female, mean age about 50, mean BMI about 32) with CRP >3.0 mg/ml who had or were at risk for cardiovascular disease
PMID 23078984
other primary study · 2022
“Among all these measures, no statistically significant differences were observed between the intervention and control groups over the studied time period (See Fig.”
Online, low-volume meditation does not alter immune-related biomarkers. Brain Behav Immun Health
Who: nurses and nursing assistants at the Cleveland Clinic with above-average perceived stress, mostly white and female, median age 33, no chronic disease
PMID 36267832
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