Good for What Ails You

A sampling of current research on the benefits of mindfulness for body and mind.

Barry Boyce18 November 2010

A sampling of current research on the benefits of mindfulness for body and mind.

  • Ninety chronic pain patients following the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School reported less present-moment pain, less difficulty with physical activity, and fewer medical symptoms than those following traditional pain treatment.
  • A recent Swedish study found that the practice of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy caused a 42% reduction in the primary symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
  • Binge eaters who took part in mindful eating programs at Duke University and Indiana State University reduced the frequency of their binging by approximately 75%. They also reduced their levels of insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
  • Studies from the University of Manchester and the University of Montreal found compelling evidence that people who meditate have a higher pain threshold in comparison to people who don’t meditate.
  • At the University of Washington, patients in recovery for substance abuse took part in a Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention program. Two months later, they reported 50% lower substance abuse levels and significantly less craving than the group in regular treatment.
  • A study from the Cleveland Clinic reported that mindfulness practice decreased negative emotions and increased well-being in people with risk-factors for coronary artery disease.
  • Mindfulness meditation helps people with multiple sclerosis cope with the depression, fatigue, and anxiety associated with the disease, reports a Swiss study in the September 2010 issue of Neurology.
  • Working with clinically depressed patients in remission, a study at Oxford University found that only 36 per cent of patients in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy eventually relapsed, compared 62 per cent of patients in traditional cognitive therapy.

Barry Boyce

Barry Boyce

A longtime meditation practitioner and teacher, as well as a professional writer and editor, Barry Boyce is the editor of and a primary contributor to the book The Mindfulness Revolution: Leading Psychologists, Scientists, Artists, and Meditation Teachers on the Power of Mindfulness in Daily Life. He also worked with Congressman Tim Ryan on his books A Mindful Nation and The Real Food Revolution. Barry is also co-author of The Rules of Victory, a commentary on the strategic principles that underlie Sun Tzu’s Art of War.