Background Information

Telomeres Telomeres are protective caps at the end of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division. Telomere length is associated with aging and health, with longer telomeres linked to better health and longevity. Stress and lifestyle factors can affect telomere length, making them a potential marker of health and aging.

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View in glossary naturally shorten with age and cell division. Their progressive erosion is associated with cellular aging and increased risk for chronic diseases. Telomerase Telomerase is an enzyme that helps maintain telomere length by adding repetitive DNA sequences to the ends of chromosomes. It plays a crucial role in cellular aging and longevity, as it can counteract the natural shortening of telomeres that occurs with cell division. This enzyme is particularly active in stem cells, germline cells, and cancer cells, while its activity is typically low in most mature somatic cells, contributing to cellular senescence and aging.

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View in glossary , the enzyme responsible for maintaining telomere length, depends on the expression of two key genes: hTERT and hTR. These, in turn, are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation. Recent interest has focused on how lifestyle factors—including meditation—may affect these molecular hallmarks of aging. Prior studies have suggested that meditation may stabilize or even lengthen telomeres, including research by Jacobs et al. (2011) demonstrating increased telomerase activity following a mindfulness retreat, but results have been mixed and rarely explore the entire molecular cascade in healthy populations.

What They Did

The researchers recruited 30 long-term meditators and 30 non-meditators who were carefully matched in age, sex, and education. All participants were healthy adults without chronic illnesses, and none were smokers. The meditators had been practicing regularly for at least three years, often meditating for nearly six hours a day, on average, over a span of about seven years. This level of commitment placed them among the more experienced practitioners seen outside of formal retreat settings.

To explore how meditation might influence biological aging, the researchers examined several cellular markers from blood samples. The first and most direct measure was telomere length. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that naturally shorten as we age, acting like a biological clock inside our cells. Longer telomeres are generally considered a sign of healthier cellular aging. The researchers compared the average telomere lengths between the two groups.

Next, they measured how active two specific genes were—hTERT and hTR—both of which are involved in producing telomerase, a key enzyme that helps rebuild and maintain telomeres. When these genes are more active, cells are better able to preserve their telomeres, which may slow the aging process at a cellular level.

Finally, the researchers looked at a deeper layer of control: how easily the body can turn the hTERT gene on or off. This is governed by a process called DNA methylation, in which small chemical tags are added to the gene’s control region. When a gene’s promoter is heavily methylated, it’s much harder for the body to activate that gene. The team analyzed dozens of these control sites on the hTERT gene to see whether long-term meditators showed less methylation—meaning the gene would be more accessible and more likely to be expressed.

In addition to these biological tests, the study also assessed participants’ psychological traits, including levels of mindfulness and quality of life. This allowed the researchers to explore whether any observed biological differences were related to specific mental or emotional patterns associated with meditation.

One Big Result

Long-term meditators had significantly longer telomeres and higher expression of telomerase-related genes, along with lower methylation of the hTERT promoter—pointing to a multi-layered impact of meditation on cellular aging.

Specifically, the meditators’ telomeres were on average 32% longer than those of the non-meditators. This is a meaningful difference given the role telomeres play in protecting our DNA and regulating cellular lifespan. In addition, the meditators showed higher activity of two genes (hTERT and hTR) involved in producing telomerase, the enzyme that helps rebuild telomeres. They also showed reduced chemical tagging (methylation) on the hTERT gene’s control region, which may help keep the gene more “open” and active.

“Long-term meditators had significantly higher expression of hTERT and hTR genes compared to non-meditators, and also lower levels of methylation in the promoter region of the hTERT gene.”

Altogether, these findings suggest that regular meditation may slow biological aging not just through stress reduction or mood improvements, but by altering gene activity and protective cellular structures at a molecular level.

Miscellaneous Interesting Takeaways

Not Technique-Specific

Participants reported practicing a mix of loving-kindness, body scanning, and breath-based meditation. Despite the variation in style, all showed similar molecular benefits. This supports the idea that it’s not the specific form of meditation that matters most, but perhaps the consistency and depth of engagement.

Psychological Correlates

The study reinforced a link between telomere length and specific Mindfulness Mindfulness is the psychological process of purposely bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgment. It involves maintaining awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment with an attitude of curiosity and acceptance. In meditation contexts, mindfulness practices typically involve focusing attention on the breath or body sensations as anchors to the present moment while acknowledging and releasing distracting thoughts.

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View in glossary traits, including “acting with awareness” and “non-reactivity,” as well as physical and social dimensions of quality of life. These findings align with theories that psychological stress affects telomere biology via physiological stress pathways, and that meditation may mediate this effect by improving subjective well-being.

Telomere Length Tracks with Years of Practice

Among meditators, those who had practiced for longer periods had longer telomeres. The correlation was strong: the more years someone had maintained a regular meditation practice, the longer their telomeres tended to be. This suggests a dose–response relationship, where the biological benefits of meditation may accumulate over time. Rather than a one-time intervention, it appears that sustained, long-term practice has the most profound impact on cellular aging.

Final Reflection

This study adds weight to the view that meditation can influence not just states of mind, but also states of gene expression and cellular aging.

“The findings suggest that meditation as a lifestyle practice has multi-level beneficial effects on telomere dynamics with potential to promote healthy aging.”

Meditation appears to slow biological aging by altering gene regulation at the molecular level. These findings complement earlier research by Davidson, Kabat-Zinn et al. (2003) showing meditation’s positive effects on immune function, suggesting meditation may impact multiple biological pathways related to health and aging.

Citation

Dasanayaka, N. N., Sirisena, N. D., & Samaranayake, N. (2023). Associations of meditation with telomere dynamics: a case–control study in healthy adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1222863