Meditate every day to stop cancer spreading

Meditating every day could stop cancer from spreading.

It reduces levels of cortisol—the ‘stress hormone’—that drives the spread of cancer and even helps cancer cells adapt and survive.  The hormone could also make chemotherapy and other cancer-fighting approaches less effective.

Cancer patients often have cortisol levels that are always chronically high, whereas in healthy people levels rise and fall in response to challenges.

So, lowering levels through meditation could be essential to help cancer patients survive, say researchers from Midwestern University in the US.

In a study, they discovered the key role that cortisol plays in the spread of cancer and its resistance to treatment, especially if levels remain chronically high.

Living with cancer can be its own stressor, and so stress-reducing exercises like meditation could make a big difference.  Cancer patients should also exercise, get out into nature, do deep breathing and keep a journal, and also eat a healthy diet, the researchers say.

They recommend cancer patients meditate first thing in the morning and last thing at night before they go to sleep. “In the morning, these practices can support a resilient mental state that helps us manage daily stress better.  At night, these practices can help us relax and facilitate getting quality sleep”, said Kimberley Bussey, the head researcher.

What do you think? Start a conversation over on the... WDDTY Community