Loving-kindness meditation's effects on nitric oxide and perceived well-being: a pilot study in experienced and inexperienced meditators.
Kathi J Kemper, Daniel Powell, Christine Carlisle Helms, Daniel B Kim-Shapiro
Explore 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2014.10.002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Longitudinal Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Healthy meditators (7 inexperienced, 5 experienced) |
| Intervention | loving-kindness meditation |
| Duration | Single study visit with a 20-minute meditation session and measurements at baseline, after a neutral reading period, immediately after meditation, and 10 minutes post-meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Compassion Cardiovascular Nitric oxide Relaxation |
| Key findings | Loving-kindness meditation is associated with stress reduction in inexperienced meditators, and experienced meditators had higher nitrate levels and lower stress levels than inexperienced meditators. |
Abstract
Meditation is associated with lower blood pressure, but little is known about how loving-kindness meditation affects nitric oxide (NO) metabolism, a key mediator of cardiovascular physiology associated with vasodilation. We studied seven inexperienced and five experienced healthy meditators at one study visit, after they refrained from eating nitrate-rich foods for at least 12h. Participants completed questionnaires on demographics and meditation practices. We measured nitrite and nitrate and self-reported stress at baseline, after a neutral reading period (prior to meditation), immediately after, and 10 min following a standardized 20-min loving-kindness meditation. The 12 subjects had a mean age of 51 years, and two were male. Stress was significantly lower at baseline in the experienced group (15 vs. 49 on 100 point scale, P < .05) as was heart rate (HR) [68.1 ± 0.5 beats per minute (bpm) vs. 73.4 ± 0.7 bpm, P < .05]. Stress levels fell significantly with meditation (52 vs. 11, P < .05), while relaxation increased (55 vs. 89, P < .05) in the inexperienced group. Plasma nitrite levels were not significantly higher, but nitrate levels were more than twice as high (P < .05) for experienced vs. inexperienced meditators before and after loving-kindness meditation. Loving-kindness meditation is associated with stress reduction in inexperienced meditators. Experienced meditators had higher nitrate levels, trended toward having higher nitrite levels, and had significantly lower stress levels than inexperienced meditators. Nitric oxide metabolism may be involved in the cardiovascular effects of persistent meditation practice. Larger longitudinal studies would be fruitful to better understand the mechanisms involved.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- A Systematic Review of Transcendent States Across Meditation and Contemplative Traditions. Explore 2018
- Effect of Heartfulness Meditation on Stress Biomarkers, Burnout and Well-Being: A Randomized Controlled Study. Stress and Health April 1, 2025
- Reducing parenting stress among Muslim mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic through spiritual mindfulness training Humanitas Indonesian Psychological Journal August 28, 2023
- Effect of Heartfulness Meditation on Oxidative Stress and Mindfulness in Healthy Participants. Cureus June 23, 2024
- Effect of Heartfulness cleaning and meditation on heart rate variability. Indian heart journal December 1, 2018
and 3 more in the library
Cites 34
- Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology October 27, 2008
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: potential for psychological interventions. Clinical Psychology Review July 26, 2011
- Regulation of the Neural Circuitry of Emotion by Compassion Meditation: Effects of Meditative Expertise PLoS One March 25, 2008
- A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations Psychological Medicine November 27, 2009
and 29 more in the library