Hereditary Genetics: Current Research

The effects of yoga on epigenetics

5^th World Congress on Epigenetics and Chromosome

November 15-16, 2018 Istanbul, Turkey

Aslıcan Cakkalkurt

Koc University Hospital, Turkey

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Hereditary Genet Curr Res

Abstract:

Yoga is a Hindu spiritual discipline which includes breath control, meditation, mindfulness and specific body postures. Besides its spiritual aspect, yoga has many beneficial effects on health and has the potential to be defined as a medical tool at the future. In the literature there are many studies and reviews which emphasize yoga???s effect and efficiency on mental health, physical fitness, cardiopulmonary conditions, metabolic, endocrine and musculoskeletal conditions and specific diseases such as epilepsy and cancer. Recently, the medical activity space of yoga has broadened with epigenetics. It is found that an 8 week yoga intervention, requiring at least weekly practice, is associated with some changes in immune protein and DNA methylation biomarkers. The yoga group demonstrated lower DNA methylation of the TNF region as a whole. DNA methylation, which is defined as the addition of methyl groups onto DNA, is an epigenetic mechanism that suppresses the expression of genes. Nowadays stress is often long term and pro-inflammatory gene expression can be persistent and has a great potential to cause physical and psychiatric health problems. So, today it is being mentioned explicitly that health benefits of yoga as a mind-body intervention begin at a molecular level and can change the reading of DNA. While refraining from dislodging this narrative, this paper centers upon the relationship between yoga and epigenetics. In this respect this article explores how yoga could change phenotype without any change in genotype.

Biography :

Aslıcan Çakkalkurt is a Medical Doctor and has her expertise in Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine and is interested primarily in patients and diseases that require increased tissue oxygenation. In addition to the conventional indications of hyperbaric oxygen therapy she has conducted researches about the relationship between cancer and hyperbaric oxygen. She is interested in Integrative Medicine and is experienced in ozonetherapy, phythotherapy, aromatherapy and medical coaching as well. She has many poster and oral presentations in different fields at national or international conferences. She is a yoga instructor and specifically interested in health issues where yoga could be effective.

E-mail: draslican@hotmail.com