People who drink several large mugs of tea a day may more than halve their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease according to new studies from the National University in Singapore and Jiwaji University in India which looked at he tea drinking habits of thousands of people and compared drinking levels of those who went on to develop Parkinson’s and those who did not. Researchers say extracts in black tea may slow down the disease progression as well as delaying the start of the degenerative process.

For centuries people have used the ancient discipline of meditation to help bring calm and wisdom and in the past 30 years there has been an increase in people taking up meditation for its health benefits.

Numerous studies have found that people who medicate regularly see their doctors less and spend fewer days in hospital. One study by the Department of Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter found that people with asthma that were taught to meditate showed distinct improvement after four months.

 

Increasingly meditation is also being used as an effective way to ease pain. In a study of 90 patients published in the Journal of Behaviour Medicine, 39 took drugs to ease pain. After meditation 17 of them saw a significant improvement in pain and were able to use fewer drugs.

 

Meditation may also have a part to play in the treatment of infertility. One study taught relaxation to one group of infertile couples and compared with a similar group of infertile couples who did not learn deep relaxation.  The couples who learned to relax experienced less distress and were more likely to get pregnant.

 

Psychologists who use meditation with their patients have found that it can help reduce tension, anxiety and stress-related problems such as insomnia and high blood pressure. Meditation helps people to distance themselves from the stress in their daily lives and helps them look at any conflict with better understanding.

 

Meditation can ease physical complaints such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), tension headaches and other common health problems, including irritable bowel syndrome and high blood pressure. The other health benefits of meditation include more energy, improved memory, faster reaction and a happier outlook on life. This is because meditation gives people a psychological buffer so that life’s hectic pace doesn’t knock them out. Practicing meditation is like taking a vacation once or twice a day. When you nurture yourself, you gain tremendous spin-off benefits.

 

Getting started with meditation:

 

Getting started with meditation is not difficult but you will need patience and quiet time to practise. The true benefits build over time so you need to stick with it.

 

Choose a time in your day to dedicate to meditation; early in the morning or just before bed are ideal. Create a meditation space in the corner of your bedroom away from noise or disturbance. Burning a few drops of an essential oil can boost concentration – rose oil instils a sense of peace, while frankincense is good for heightening awareness.

 

To begin, sit upright on a cushion or on the floor or on a chair. Let your body relax, with your eyes closed or simply focus on the floor in front of you. Your body should feel alert and attentive. Consciously relax your body, releasing any tension and then take a few deep breaths. Start to become aware of your breathing. Don’t force it; just observe it as it flows in and out. Feel your abdomen fall and rise. Gradually you should find that your breathing automatically begins to slow. Continue to follow your breathing. If your attention starts to wander gently bring your thoughts back to your breath. Follow the rising and falling of your abdomen. Try and sit like this for at least five minutes. As you become more experienced you can build up to 20 minutes.

 

Don’t jump up straight afterwards. Bring yourself slowly back to normal consciousness. Start to become aware of the room around you. Feel your body on the chair or floor. Hear the noises around you.

 

If you find it really hard to clear your mind, try one of these strategies: slowly count from one to 10 in your head, keeping your attention on the number. If you feel your attention wondering, simply start again at number one. Or choose a special place like a garden or beach and imagine the scene and all the sights, smells and sounds in that place.  You can also use some relaxing music if that helps to stop your mind wandering.  Some people find it easier to focus on a candle. 

 

Studies on meditation have found that it can lower cholesterol and, reduce high blood pressure, reduce the stress hormone and ease emotional pain and anxiety. It can even slow down the ageing process – one study found that after five years of meditating regularly, the brains of the meditators were functioning as if they were 12 years younger.

A large percentage of people have a subtle rise in blood pressure as they age and by middle age many of them have high blood pressure. New research has suggested that a diet rich in fish, nuts and seeds – in other words rich in omega 3 essential fatty acids – could help to lower a person’s blood pressure.

The study, reported recently in the American Heart Association Journal Circulation, looked at diet and its relation to blood pressure in 4,680 men and women aged 40 to 60 and living in Europe, China, Japan and the United States. Researchers adjusted for variables known to influence blood pressure, for example age, gender, salt intake and exercise. The people with diets rich in omega 3 fatty acids have slightly lower blood pressure than those who ate foods with less omega 3.  

 

To lower your blood pressure risk you need to eat less salt, manage your weight, avoid heavy drinking and eat more vegetables, whole grains and fruits for their fibre, minerals, vegetable protein and other nutrients and, as this study shows, you also need to ensure you get enough omega 3 fatty acids. When it comes to omega 3, bear in mind that not all fish and nuts are equal. Fatty fish such as trout, salmon and mackerel are rich in omega 3 and walnuts, flaxseeds and canola oil are also good sources. Omega 3 fatty acid intake has also been linked to better brain development and an overall lower risk of heart disease and cancer. 

 

If you do not like eating oily fish then you can always take omega 3 oils in supplement form (see Omega 3 Plus on the Resources page).

 

Omega 3 rich oily fish, nuts and seeds are, along with fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, vital components of a Mediterranean style diet. In December 2007 yet another study was published in the journal, Archives of Internal Medicine pointing to longer life expectancy with the Mediterranean diet.

 

Over five years scientists rated several thousand volunteers on how closely they kept to a Mediterranean regime and those who stuck closely to the diet were shown to be less likely to die in that time period of any cause, including heart disease and cancer. Earlier last year researchers from the UK‘s National Heart and Lung Institute found that a Mediterranean diet helped prevent asthma and respiratory allergies in children. Also last year US researchers found that the diet reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s.