Tibetan monks have different gut microbes, here’s why

Study shows that gut microbes in Tibetan Buddhist monks differ substantially from their secular neighbours

A small comparative study published in the open-access journal General Psychiatry shows that Tibetan monks possess different gut microbes from their secular neighbours.

In fact, their altered gut microbes actually protect the monks from experiencing physical and mental ill health, such as a lower risk of anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular disease – but why? How is this possible?

Regular deep meditation regulates gut microbes

When tested against their secular neighbours, who were matched for age, blood pressure, heart rate, and diet, the gut microbes in the group of Tibetan Buddhist monks differed substantially.

The researchers deduced that it is regular meditation, practised for several years, that regulates gut microbes in this group of monks.

regular meditation, practised for several years can regulate gut microbes

As mentioned, these gut microbes have been linked to a lower risk of anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular disease.

Research demonstrates that the gut microbiome can affect mood and behaviour through the gut-brain axis, including:

• The body’s immune response
• Hormonal signalling
• Stress response
• The vagus nerve—is the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system, which oversees an array of crucial bodily functions

Meditation is used to help treat mental health disorders

The number of samples may be small – due to their geographical location – but it demonstrates the significance of meditation for improved health.

Tibetan Buddhist meditation originates from the ancient Indian medical system known as Ayurveda, and is a form of psychological training, say the researchers. The monks in this study had been practising it for at least 2 hours a day for between 3 and 30 years.

What can meditation be used for?

Meditation is increasingly being used to help treat mental health disorders, including:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Substance abuse
• Traumatic stress
• Eating disorders
• Chronic pain

How did they conduct the research?

The researchers analysed the stool and blood samples of 37 Tibetan Buddhist monks from three temples and 19 secular residents in the neighbouring areas.

No agents were used by participants that could possibly alter the volume and diversity of gut microbes: antibiotics; probiotics; prebiotics; or antifungal drugs in the preceding three months.

It was ensured that both groups were matched for age, blood pressure, heart rate, and diet.

Significant differences revealed in stool samples

Stool sample analysis revealed significant differences in the diversity and volume of microbes between the monks and their secular neighbours.

As expected, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes species were dominant in both groups.

However, Bacteroidetes were significantly enriched in the monks’ stool samples (29% vs 4%), which also contained abundant Prevotella (42% vs 6%) and a high volume of Megamonas and Faecalibacterium.

‘Collectively, several bacteria enriched in the meditation group [have been] associated with the alleviation of mental illness’

“Collectively, several bacteria enriched in the meditation group [have been] associated with the alleviation of mental illness, suggesting that meditation can influence certain bacteria that may have a role in mental health,” say researchers.

The previously published research suggests these include:

• Prevotella
• Bacteroidetes
• Megamonas
• Faecalibacterium species

The researchers then applied an advanced analytical technique to predict which chemical processes the microbes might influence. This indicated that several protective anti-inflammatory pathways, in addition to metabolism—the conversion of food into energy—were enhanced in the meditation people.

Blood sample analysis showed that levels of agents associated with a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, including total cholesterol and apolipoprotein B, were significantly lower in the monks than in their secular neighbours by their functional analysis with the gut microbes.

Although this study is comparative, it is observational. Not only was the number of participants very small, but they were also all male and lived at high altitudes, making it difficult to draw any firm or generalisable conclusions. Furthermore, the potential health implications could only be inferred from previously published research.

‘Long-term deep meditation may have a beneficial effect on gut microbiota, enabling the body to maintain an optimal state of health’

But based on their findings, the research suggested that the role of meditation in helping to prevent or treat psychosomatic illness definitely merits further research.

And they conclude: “These results suggest that long-term deep meditation may have a beneficial effect on gut microbiota, enabling the body to maintain an optimal state of health.”