Want better gut bacteria? Live like a monk
Do you know that meditating could potentially improve your gut health?
A study published in General Psychiatry found significant differences in the gut microbes of Tibetan Buddhist monks and their secular neighbours. Specially, this study focused on the effect of meditation on the gut composition, controlling for other parameters.
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Monks who regularly engaged in extended meditation had a greater abundance of several beneficial bacterial species, such as Bacteroidetes, Prevotella, Megamonas and Faecalibacterium
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The microbiota enriched in monks was associated with a reduced risk of anxiety, depression and cardiovascular disease and could enhance immune function. Overall, these results suggest that meditation plays a positive role in psychosomatic conditions and well-being
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This fits into existing research showing that gut microbiome and brain are connected through a bidirectional relationship.
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