Yoga helps in decreasing anxiety, depression; increases natural killer cell counts of cancer patients

Yoga helps in decreasing anxiety, depression, fatigue and helps increase the natural killer cell counts of cancer patients, a study has found. Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha said the Central Council of Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN) has conducted two research projects in collaboration with Swami Vivekananda Yoga.

Research Foundation, Bangalore on application of yoga in improving quality of life in cancer patients. “The first was ‘integrated approach of yoga therapy in the management of cancer’. This study showed better copy increase, decreased distress, reduced side effects, increased natural killer cell counts, increased pain threshold etc.

“The second was ‘effect of integrated approach of yoga therapy for metastatic breast cancer patients and study of DNA repair mechanism relevant to cancer’. The study showed significant decrease in anxiety, depression, perceived stress, pain, insomnia and fatigue.

“It also showed improvement in natural cell killer counts and early morning cortisol level,” he said. He said in addition, his Ministry through three research organisations namely Central Council of Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Central Council for Research in Homeopathy (CCRH) and Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) has launched a programme to integrate ayurveda, homeopathy and unani with National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardivascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS).

“Yoga is a part of adjuvant therapy,” he said. Naik added that his Ministry has invited project proposals from both public and private research institutes under its Extra Mural Research (EMR) scheme for specific diseases including cancer. The last date of receiving proposals is May 15, he said.