Effect of Yoga and Meditation on Human Gut Microbiota: A Systematic Review.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review of non-randomized controlled and observational studies
PubMed 42158622 · doi:10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_15_25
What was done
Searched SCOPUS, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane CENTRAL up to November 2023 for English-language human studies assessing the effects of yoga and meditation on gut microbiota composition, function, and metabolite levels. Out of 247 identified records, 4 studies were included for qualitative narrative synthesis: 1 nonrandomized controlled study and 3 observational studies, comprising a total of 440 healthy participants.
What was found
All 4 included studies reported favorable modulations in the composition and function of gut microbiota and metabolite levels among meditation/yoga practitioners compared to non-meditating controls. The abstract reported no specific numerical values, effect sizes, or statistical metrics.
Why it matters
Synthesizes early human evidence exploring the gut-brain axis in yoga and meditation practitioners, establishing a baseline for future clinical trial designs.
Limits
The evidence base is extremely small (4 studies, 440 participants) with zero randomized controlled trials. All participants followed a vegan or vegetarian diet, creating substantial confounding between the effects of diet and mind-body practices. Specific bacterial taxa, metabolic pathways, and numerical outcomes were not detailed in the abstract.