Want to live a longer and more fulfilling life, get less sick and have a higher level of vitality? Learn about how meditation affects the biochemistry of our brain and a lot will become clear to you.
Meditation and Serotonin
Meditation raises the level of serotonin, the natural hubbub of happiness. Serotonin affects most of the 86 billion brain cells. Known to scientists as the neurotransmitter of good mood, serotonin plays a key role in the transmission of neuro-impulses from one part of the brain to another. It has a strong influence on our mood, contributes to the achievement of a state of happiness and contentment. Increasing serotonin levels is extremely important in the treatment of depression and depressive conditions, characterized by a reduced level of this hormone in the cerebral cortex.
According to Princeton University neurophysiologist Barry Jacobs, depression begins when neurogenesis (neuronal production) is reduced due to stress.
A study from the University of Montreal showed that regular meditation practices increase serotonin levels in our brain. Scientists have found that meditation improves the supply of brain cells with the chemicals needed to produce serotonin. Meditation practices stimulate our brain's natural production of it.
During meditation, conditions are created to create a favorable chemical environment that promotes the production of new brain cells, and this makes us happier and healthier people.
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Meditation and cortisol
Cortisol is a hormone, the increase in the level of which accompanies the aging of the body, the lower its level, the better for a person. Cortisol production increases when we are stressed or anxious. Elevated cortisol levels for a long time have a damaging effect on our brain cells, block the production of other beneficial hormones and lead to depression, anxiety, anxiety, increased blood pressure, and insomnia.
If the level of cortisol in our body is elevated, then this is bad news. Fortunately, scientists have found an extremely effective remedy to combat excess of this hormone. They found a very strong inverse relationship between the practice of meditation and a decrease in the level of this hormone in the blood. Scientists found that people who meditated for two weeks dropped cortisol levels by almost 50%. Meditation has proven to be extremely effective in normalizing the levels of this hormone in our body.
Meditation and the hormone DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)
Known primarily to researchers as the "longevity hormone" and the stress-relieving hormone DHEA is one of the most important hormones in our body. With age, the level of this hormone decreases, opening the way to aging and disease.
To measure a person's biological age, researchers measure the level of DHEA; measuring the level of this hormone is a much more accurate medical marker than age, expressed in years of life. Researchers in a 12-year follow-up of 240 men (50-79 years) found that levels of the hormone DHEA were directly associated with mortality. The results of the researchers showed a simple relationship: the lower the level of this hormone, the shorter a person's life span.
Fortunately, regular meditation will help you in this case, and will provide a significant increase in the level of this hormone. On average, a person who regularly practices meditation will live 8-11 years longer than his one-year-old who does not practice meditation. Vincent Jiampapa, M. D., former president of the American Commission on Gerontology and renowned longevity researcher, found that people who meditate regularly have 43.7% higher levels of this hormone compared to ordinary people. Maybe meditation is the only real way to prolong life? Many researchers believe that this is actually the case.
Meditation and GABA
A hormone primarily known for helping you regain peace of mind, GABA (Gamma Aminobutyrate, Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) is one of the major neurotransmitters in the central nervous system that stimulates the inhibition processes in the cerebral cortex.
All people who use alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and caffeine have one thing in common: a lack of GABA. Not getting enough of this super important hormone can create a variety of problems, including anxiety, nervousness, chaotic thoughts, and insomnia. Fortunately, there is an effective solution to this problem. In 2010, scientists at Boston University proved that a 27% increase in GABA levels occurs after just 60 minutes of meditation. Which is even more effective than exercise! Meditation will help you increase your blood levels of this hormone.
Meditation and endorphins
They are responsible for the feelings of happiness and joy we experience, endorphins are neurotransmitters that the body uses as an internal pain reliever. A 1995 study (Garth et al.) Published in the Journal of Psychology found that the content of this hormone was significantly increased in two groups - in 11 athletes professionally running and 12 people practicing meditation. Moreover, in humans. practicing meditation, the level of endorphins was even higher than that of professional athletes!
Runners have the phrase "reach the top bar." It is a happy, Zen-like state of bliss that overwhelms a person during a long run, intense sports. Fortunately, the same state can be achieved through meditation. People who practice meditation can achieve the same, if not deeper, states of happiness and bliss that professional athletes achieve.
Meditation and growth hormone
Since time immemorial, people have been looking for the elixir of youth. Nowadays, most people no longer believe in this kind of medicine, as our ancestors believed in it, but growth hormone (GH) is actually, if not the source of eternal youth, then at least its companion.
The GH hormone stimulates growth as we grow up and keeps our tissues and organs working. After you turn forty, your pea-sized pituitary gland located at the base of your brain that produces growth hormone begins to gradually decrease the amount of this hormone (GH) it produces. A gradual decrease in the production of growth hormone causes the extinction of the physiology of our body, called aging - bones and muscles become weaker, body fat increases, the cardiovascular system worsens, there is a lack of sleep and fatigue. Hollywood stars spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on expensive injections of this hormone, but in fact, its production can be stimulated by the body through meditation.
The most favorable for the production of this hormone are delta meditations, during which our brain produces most of the growth hormone. Delta brain waves are a key frequency of insight that are activated during meditation or during the deepest stage of sleep. Meditators appear younger than their peers precisely because they naturally raised their growth hormone levels. Scientists think so. By meditating every day, you effectively turn back the clock.
Meditation and melatonin
Since time immemorial, our biological clocks have been consistent with the natural cycles of the Earth during daylight and darkness. In recent decades, our society, with the help of electric lighting, "conquered" part of the dark time of the day, natural rhythms have changed and this could not pass unnoticed for our body, which was unbalanced, brought out by our newly acquired love for a flickering TV or computer screen, which doomed it for severe biological disorders. Too much artificial light is enemy number one of melatonin, the sleep hormone. And the most important thing is that the lack of this hormone has taken on the character of an epidemic, it is due to our model of behavior.
The key to a good mood and restful sleep, melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, reaches its maximum concentration in the blood just before bedtime. Melatonin is known to prevent cancer, strengthen the immune system, slow down aging, and help prevent over 100 different diseases. But due to artificial lighting, its production is inhibited for most people.
Fortunately, there is a very effective, all natural solution. Researchers at Rutgers University found that 98% of people engaged in meditation practices had higher melatonin levels than those who did not. Practicing meditation, especially with the use of special neuroacoustic programs, will allow you to produce more melatonin in the evening, which means you can get better sleep. A good sleep is the basis of health and meditation practices will always help you with this.
Summing up all of the above, we can say with confidence that practicing meditation, according to scientists, will allow you to really extend your life by 8-11 years and you can start practicing meditation at any age, there are no restrictions here. By regularly doing meditation, you can help your body produce all the essential hormones it needs, which means, in turn, start living a more fulfilling and healthy life.
Author: Lenny Rossolovski