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Effect of Yoga and Meditation on Human Gut Microbiota: A Systematic Review.

Renukaradhya K Math, Palaksha Kanive Javaregowda, Satish G Patil

International Journal of Yoga 2026 DOI: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_15_25 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

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Characteristics Systematic review Randomized Qualitative Peer reviewed
Sample size 440
Population Healthy human participants following a vegan or vegetarian diet
Interventions Yoga Meditation
Topics Meditation
Keywords Gut microbiota Metabolites Systematic review Yoga
Key findings Yoga and meditation practice was associated with favorable changes in gut microbiota composition and function, but these changes may be attributable to the combined effects of meditation and a vegetarian/vegan diet.

Abstract

The evidence from the clinical studies on the influence of yoga and meditation on gut microbiota in humans has been summarized in this systematic review. Searches were conducted until November 2023 in four electronic databases: SCOPUS, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Controlled Registry of Trials (CENTRAL) to find relevant studies published in English. Studies on the influence of yoga and meditation on gut microbiome in human participants of any age or gender were included in the systematic review. The outcomes were modulations in the composition and function of gut microbiota and their metabolite levels. Due to the varied approaches used in the study designs and outcome measures of the included studies, a narrative synthesis was carried out. The database search resulted in 247 titles and abstracts, out of which four articles were included for qualitative synthesis. There was one nonrandomized controlled study and three observational studies. The studies were conducted on a healthy population (n = 440). The participants were followers of a vegan or vegetarian diet. The control group subjects were nonmeditators, i.e., who never received any meditation training. All the reviewed studies have shown a favorable change in the composition and function of gut microbiota and their metabolites with meditation practice when compared to controls. Yoga and meditation improved the composition and function of gut microbiota. However, all the subjects were following a vegetarian/vegan diet, so the beneficial changes demonstrated in the gut microbiota may be attributed to the combined effects of meditation and a vegetarian/vegan diet.

Comparable studies

Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations 2014 Meta-analysis n = 3,515
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects 2009 Systematic review and meta-analysis
The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators 2012 Meta-analysis n = 163
Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission 2016 Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials n = 1,258
Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials 2011 Systematic review

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