Biological markers for the effects of yoga as a complementary and alternative medicine

Abstract

From the last few decades, there are increasing incidences of disorders like premature aging, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and Alzheimer's disease In addition to medication, researchers have found that yoga, a mind-body therapy, can be used as an alternative medicine. Yoga combines specific physical postures, breathing techniques, relaxation and meditation that improve mental and physical health of the body. The purpose of this review is to collate the research evidences claiming health benefits of performing traditional yogic practices. What are the biological and other reliable indicators to suggest that doing asanas, pranayama, and meditation could reduce or treat wide range of life style disorders are discussed. Importantly, these indicators are otherwise used to assess the severity of disorders. In many of the study it has been shown that yoga improves the redox health of body whose imbalance has been well proven to cause many health complications. The impact of yoga on neurodegenerative diseases have revealed that it reverses memory loss, reduce anxiety, depression and stress, the biological indicators of disease. However, most studies have several limitations and therefore further research into yoga is needed to validate these findings.

Keywords: alternative medicine; lifestyle disorders; yoga.