Yoga leaves a molecular signature

Health is way more than working out. The complexity of human body leaves us so much to explore and this is a fascinating review on that.

The Experiment

Researchers looked at 11 RCTs with a population that was extremely diverse. A mix of people with type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, breast cancer patients as well as healthy individuals. They examined aging and stress-related markers to see how yoga interventions affected gene expression.

The Results

Yoga interventions modulate gene expression by:

• Downregulating pro-inflammatory genes (IL-6, TNF-α, NF-κB)¹
• Upregulating anti-inflammatory and immune-regulatory genes (TGF-β, FoxP3)²
• Improving DNA repair mechanisms (OGG1)³
• Improving mitochondrial function (AMPK, SIRT-1)⁴
• Improving epigenetic modifications (TNF methylation, miR-133B)⁵
• Reducing disease activity

Interesting Observations

Clinically, yoga was associated with reduced rheumatoid arthritis activity, better glycemic control, and improved quality of life. The consistency of findings across diverse populations strengthens the case for yoga's therapeutic potential.

The findings are limited by small sample sizes and short study durations. But the direction is compelling — yoga shows promise as an adjunct therapeutic approach.

In other words — yoga may be leaving a molecular signature on your body.

Link to study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12094062/

Footnotes:

¹ These genes drive inflammation. Downregulating them = less chronic inflammation.

² These genes calm the immune system and reduce overreaction.

³ OGG1 is an enzyme that repairs damaged DNA — critical for aging and disease prevention.

⁴ AMPK and SIRT-1 regulate cellular energy and cleanup. Better function = healthier cells.

⁵ Epigenetics = how genes get turned on or off — like a dimmer switch. These changes dial down inflammation signaling and pain.