Anecdotally, people who meditate frequently report that it helps them de-stress and approach life with a steadier mind. And there is some initial research to show that meditation can help ease stress by keeping our hormone levels in check—though more rigorous, large-scale studies still need to be done to support this. Here’s what we know so far. But today, this same hormonal reaction can be triggered by several different (and less severe) circumstances, such as a car alarm, our boss dropping a last-minute assignment on our desk, or screaming kids in the kitchen. There may not be any man-eating beasts in the area, but there are countless situations in today’s world that are going to keep you stimulated and dump those stress hormones into your system. When this happens, adrenaline works to increase your heart rate and blood pressure, while cortisol increases the sugar in your bloodstream, lowers your immune system, and suppresses your digestion. This all stresses your body out and undermines your health. While more studies need to be done, early research shows that mindfulness-based interventions like meditation can actually lower cortisol1 and adrenaline levels in your body, helping to normalize blood pressure and heart rate temporarily. Dopamine is one hormone that’s thought to be responsible for the “high” we feel during exercise. It acts like an information filter that can help our brains get ready for peak performance. Dopamine also improves our memory, our attention, and our ability to solve problems—all pretty important stuff. In one study, middle-aged men and women who took up a steady yoga and meditation practice had significantly higher levels of DHEA4 after 12 weeks than those in the control group. Since meditation might lower cortisol levels, there’s a chance it can help you get back in the mood too, though no science has looked into this specifically. Again, the research on meditation and hormone health is sparce. But considering all the other health benefits of mindfulness, it’s definitely worth giving it a try.
