From the Guidelines
The level of evidence for the effect of yoga on the immune system is low, as the provided evidence primarily focuses on the effects of yoga on anxiety, depression, and fatigue in cancer patients, rather than its impact on the immune system.
Key Findings
- The evidence suggests that yoga may be beneficial for reducing anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients, with intermediate quality evidence and a moderate strength of recommendation 1.
- Yoga has also been shown to improve fatigue and quality of life in cancer patients, with some studies reporting moderate-to-high effects 1.
- However, the evidence for the effect of yoga on the immune system is limited and indirect, with no direct studies on this topic provided.
Evidence Quality
- The quality of evidence for yoga's effects on anxiety and depression is intermediate for breast cancer patients, but low for other cancer types 1.
- The evidence for yoga's effects on fatigue and quality of life is based on multiple studies, but more research is needed to fully understand its benefits and risks 1.
Clinical Implications
- Based on the available evidence, yoga may be offered to breast cancer patients to reduce anxiety and depression, and to improve fatigue and quality of life 1.
- However, more research is needed to fully understand the effects of yoga on the immune system and to determine its potential benefits and risks in this context.
From the Research
Level of Evidence for Yoga's Effect on the Immune System
The current evidence suggests that yoga has a positive impact on the immune system, with studies indicating improvements in immunological markers and reductions in inflammatory markers.
- The practice of yoga has been shown to strengthen cell-mediated immunity and have a positive impact on overall physical and physiological wellbeing and quality of life 2.
- Yoga has been found to have beneficial effects on the levels of circulating cortisol and classical inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and cytokines 3.
- A systematic review of randomized controlled trials found that yoga can downregulate pro-inflammatory markers, including IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha 4.
- However, the evidence for the effect of yoga on cell-mediated immunity is still limited, and further studies are needed to examine the exercise mode that may be most effective for improvement of immune functions 5.
Key Findings
- Yoga interventions, including meditation and pranayama, have been shown to improve immunological profiles and reduce inflammatory markers 2, 3.
- The practice of yoga may exert beneficial effects by enhancing cell-mediated and mucosal immunity 4.
- Preliminary indications suggest that a brief yoga intervention may reduce markers of inflammation and DNA methylation in chronically stressed women 6.
- The current evidence is still young, and more research is required to draw distinct conclusions about the effects of yoga on the immune system 4, 5.