The influence of Mindfulness on the immune system: a narrative review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61661/congresso.cbmev.6.2023.44Keywords:
mindfulness, immune, immune systemAbstract
Mindfulness aims to consciously and non-judgmentally accept the present moment. Studies suggest benefits, such as impacts on the immune system. 56 articles from the last 5 years were collected on PubMed and around 17 thousand on Google Scholar using the descriptors “mindfulness” and “immune system”, in English and Portuguese. Clinical trials, literary reviews, longitudinal, exploratory and pilot studies were selected, resulting in 11 articles. Those that did not align with the theme and that were not freely accessible were excluded. Seven studies suggest positive effects on the immune system. One of them demonstrated a decrease in interleukin (IL) 6 and IL-8 and high circulation of glutathione and cysteine with the Mindfulness-Based Health Program for Educators. Others, with Mindfulness Meditation, revealed changes in methylation sites of genes linked to immunity and a decrease in gene expression of the conserved transcriptional response to adversity related to inflammation, strengthening the immune system. In another, there was a restoration of natural killer (NK) cells and cytokines and a decrease in cortisol in individuals with cancer subject to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Four of them did not find positive associations with levels of monocytes, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, C-reactive protein, phagocytic activity, serum cortisol, T, B and NK cells, dimer D and viral load of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Studies with 6- to 8-week interventions have yielded inconsistent results. It is concluded that the standardization of parameters to evaluate the immunological response is crucial for more conclusive results. Factors such as the heterogeneity of the sample, intervention protocols and attendance at practices contribute to the weak evidence of the benefit of mindfulness on the immune system. Therefore, studies with more homogeneous designs are needed to increase scientific evidence on the topic.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Emely Hemeterio Bueno, Helena Oles, Nancy Huang
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The VI Brazilian Congress of Lifestyle Medicine allows the author(s) to maintain their copyright without restrictions. Publications are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License - CC-BY
