Mental training reduces the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in hair, says the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences.
Many people claim meditation helps to relieve their daily stresses. A new study provides objective evidence which supports the claims. Researchers found cortisol levels from hair samples decreased by 25% following a six-month meditation training program.
A study provides the first objective evidence that mental training reduces physical signs of long periods of stress. Mental training that promotes skills such as mindfulness, gratitude or compassion reduces the concentration of the stress hormone.