Tai Chi May Slow Down Cells’ Ageing Process, Researchers Say

Rebecca Lewis June 02, 2014

Practising the traditional Chinese martial art called Tai Chi, may replenish stem cells and therefore slow down the ageing process – new research revealed.

In the study, researchers compared tai chi with brisk walking or no exercise and found that the group performing tai chi had higher amount of the stem cell important to a number of the body’s functions and structures.

“We used young volunteers because they have better cell-renewing abilities than the old population and we also wanted to avoid having chronic diseases and medications as interfering factors,” said researcher Shinn-Zong Lin, M.D., Ph.D.

The team suggests that Tai Chi may benefit people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease and fibromyalgia. Additionally, it may contribute to pain reduction, fall prevention and balance improvement, aerobic capacity, blood pressure, quality of life and stress reduction.

Compared with the study participants who didn’t exercise, those who practised Tai Chi had ‘significantly higher’ number of 34+ stem cells. “We found that the CD34+ cell count of the tai chi group was significantly higher than the brisk walking group.”

The CD 34+ cells express the CD 34 protein and are “cluster markers” for blood stem cells involved in cell self-renewal, differentiation and proliferation.

“Considering that brisk walking may require a larger space or more equipment, tai chi seems to be an easier and more convenient choice of anti-aging exercise.”

“This study provides the first step into providing scientific evidence for the possible health benefits of tai chi,” said Paul R. Sanberg, Ph.D., distinguished professor at the University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla.

“Further study of how tai chi can elicit benefit in different populations and on different parameters of aging are necessary to determine its full impact.”

Their findings were published in the journal Cell Transplantation.

Source of this article:

Tai Chi May Slow Aging