Metabolomic profiles impacted by brief mindfulness intervention with contributions to improved health.
Yi-Yuan Tang, Jeffrey S Patterson, Rongxiang Tang, Jinhua Chi, Ngoc Bao Phuong Ho, Dorothy D Sears, Haiwei Gu
Scientific Reports July 25, 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-12067-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 42 |
| Population | Participants (no further description given) |
| Interventions | Integrative body-mind training Relaxation training |
| Duration | Ten 1-hour sessions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Amino acid metabolism Integrative body-mind training Lipid metabolism Metabolomics Relaxation training |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Integrative body-mind training (IBMT) significantly altered multiple metabolic pathways, including increases in glycine derivatives, glutamate, and tetrahexosylceramide, and decreases in sulfur-containing compounds, while relaxation training showed no significant effects. |
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that mindfulness-based interventions improve physical and mental health. However, whether brief mindfulness intervention supports health benefits by regulating metabolic profiles is poorly understood. To address this gap, this randomized controlled trial compared ten 1-hour sessions of integrative body-mind training (IBMT) with relaxation training (RT) in 42 participants. Untargeted metabolomics was performed on fasting serum samples to investigate the physiological effects of the interventions on metabolic profiles. After IBMT, significant increases were observed in glycine derivatives, glutamate, and tetrahexosylceramide, while multiple sulfur containing compounds decreased. In contrast, RT yielded no significant intervention effects. A direct comparison between IBMT and RT revealed significant group differences in the levels of glycine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphoglycerol, phosphatidylserine, sphingomyelin derivatives, and α-linolenic acid. Further, pathway and enrichment analyses confirmed the effects of IBMT on amino acid and lipid metabolism with significant alterations to sphingolipid, α-linolenic acid, and linoleic acid metabolism as well as histidine and pyruvate metabolism. These findings suggest that IBMT can reprogram key metabolic pathways. In conclusion, this study offers insights into how a brief mindfulness intervention modulates metabolic profiles and highlights the potential of mindfulness-based interventions to promote health through metabolic regulation. These findings may guide the development of future mindfulness-based health promotion strategies.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 17
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
- Mindfulness meditation training alters stress-related amygdala resting state functional connectivity: a randomized controlled trial Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 5, 2015
- Isha yoga practices, vegan diet, and participation in Samyama meditation retreat: impact on the gut microbiome & metabolome - a non-randomized trial. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies April 5, 2023
- Mindfulness meditation improves metabolic profiles in healthy and depressive participants CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics February 5, 2018
and 12 more in the library