Various pressures are common in modern people’s lives. They are forced to catch up with performance, work progress and rising prices every day. If these pressures are not relieved, they are likely to have a negative impact on their health, so they cannot be ignored. Recent research by German scientists has shown that the practice of meditation not only has a stress-relieving effect, but also can effectively reduce excessive appetite caused by stress. The research results were published in the journal Scientific Reports at the end of March. For modern people who pursue healthy balance, practicing meditation is undoubtedly an option worth considering.
When facing environmental stress, the secretion of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline in the human body will increase. This will increase blood sugar, accelerate heartbeat, and increase muscle energy, putting the body into a “fighting state” and helping to face stress and overcome challenges. However, if you are under long-term stress, your body will not be able to bear the load and disease will occur. In addition, hormonal imbalances can also affect appetite and eating behavior, leading to frequent cravings to relieve stress and even overeating. These poor eating habits can ultimately lead to weight gain, which can lead to health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.
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Because the practice of sitting meditation has been proven to relieve stress and improve overall well-being, scientists at the Technical University of Munich recently further studied whether sitting meditation can help improve abnormal eating behaviors caused by long-term stress.
Rebuilding connections within brain networks
This study recruited a total of 66 subjects who suffered from stress and overeating and had never been exposed to meditation. They were randomly assigned to a one-month online video meditation course (experimental group) or a general health education course (control group). Participants underwent behavioral assessments and brain MRI scans at the beginning and end of the trial.
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The results show that practicing meditation can make subjects more consciously aware of the current state of mind, body and environment, and maintain a non-judgmental attitude; it can also relieve stress, emotional eating tendencies and food desires. The results of magnetic resonance imaging showed that these changes in eating behavior were accompanied by changes in functional connections between different areas in the brain. There are also changes in connections between areas of the brain responsible for emotion regulation and sensory integration and the hypothalamus, responsible for hormone synthesis and regulating metabolism. This suggests that meditation may relieve stress and reduce appetite by reestablishing connections within the brain network.
The results of this study are consistent with many previous observations showing the positive effects of meditation on stress relief and mood regulation. By cultivating a state of mind that is aware of and does not judge the present moment, people can face stress more rationally, and can also improve unhealthy behaviors such as overeating caused by stress. This discovery also reminds people once again that practicing meditation is an option that can effectively relieve stress and avoid obesity caused by overeating. It is well worth a try!
(Source of first picture:pixabay ）
2024-04-05 17:09:50
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