Mindfulness Linked to Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

Having a high degree of "mindfulness" could influence your blood sugar levels for the better, according to a new study from Brown University.

Mindfulness is described as the "inherent trait of being aware of one's present thoughts and feelings," the researchers said. Those with higher scores on mindfulness indicators had higher scores on healthy blood glucose levels, the study revealed.

"This study demonstrated a significant association of dispositional mindfulness with glucose regulation, and provided novel evidence that obesity and sense of control may serve as potential mediators of this association," the authors wrote.

Sense of control, weight regulation

The study included 399 people, and researchers sought to identify the factors that linked mindfullness to healthy glucose levels. They hypothesized that people who practice a higher degree of mindfulness may be able to better motivate themselves and resist temptations for unhealthy foods.

After looking at the data, researchers found that obesity risk and sense of control contributed to the connection between mindfulness and health - specifically that mindful people are less likely to be obese and more likely to feel and act in control of things they want to change.

"As mindfulness is likely a modifiable trait, this study provides preliminary evidence for a fairly novel and modifiable potential determinant of diabetes risk," the authors wrote.

Source: Brown University