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| Yoga Research - Yoga Increases Gaba Level |
| Yoga increases GABA levels in brain A new pilot study carried out at Boston University School of Medicine and MacLean Hospital, at the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, show that yoga causes a rise in gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Low GABA levels are thought to contribute to the two commonest psychiatric illnesses prevalent in the world, depression and anxiety. Treatment of these conditions is carried out by drugs which raise GABA levels. In this study, a group of eight subjects who performed Yoga for an hour were scanned, and compared to a group of eleven who just did reading, but no yoga. A 27% increase in brain GABA levels in the yoga group was noticed immediately afterwards, compared to none in the ‘reading’ group. Although the study does not indicate whether the increase in brain GABA concentrations are sufficient enough to be used for the treatment of clinical anxiety and depression, it does introduce the possibility of Yoga to be used in the treatment of a variety of illnesses, where GABA levels are depressed. However, the reason behind reduction in brain GABA levels in patients with psychiatric illnesses is yet unknown in most cases, and whether yoga raises GABA levels in depressed patients as much as it does in healthy volunteers remains to be seen. Nevertheless, it is encouraging news for mind-body medical practitioners. |