It is a practice favored by Lena Dunham, Tom Hanks and Lady Gaga to improve their focus and bring about calmness in an often busy, distracted world. Now researchers have found evidence that frequent meditation(冥想)over several years, may help change human gut(肠道), boost the body's immune(免疫的)system and reduce the risk of anxiety, depression and heart disease. The findings are published by the British Medical Journal. 

Meditation is increasingly used to help treat drug abuse, overwhelming stress, eating disorders and long-lasting pain. But until now it has not been clear whether it could also be able to change the composition of the gut microbiome(微 生物组). In an effort to find out, researchers led by the Shanghai Mental Health Centre at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University analyzed the stool(粪便)and blood samples of 37 Tibetan Buddhist monks from three temples and 19 residents in the neighboring areas. The Tibetan meditation from the ancient Indian medical system, is a form of psychological training. The monks in the study had practiced it for at least 2 hours a day for 3-30 years. Both groups were matched for age, blood pressure, heart rate and diet. Stool sample analysis revealed significant differences in the diversity and volume of microbes between the monks and their neighbors. "Bacteria enriched in the meditation group had a positive effect on human physical and mental health, "the researchers wrote. "This changed gut microbiome composition could improve immune function in the body. "Blood sample analysis also revealed the levels of markers associated with risk of heart disease were significantly lower in the monks.

The researchers emphasized that the study was observational and the number joining was small, all male and living at high altitude, making it difficult to draw any firm or general conclusions. However, based on their findings, the researchers said the role of meditation in helping to prevent or treat mental and physical illness deserved further research.