Mindful eating has a positive impact on blood sugar, weight and cardiovascular risk. This is the principle of mindful eating: that is to say, being particularly attentive to the signals associated with food intake, becoming aware of what you are eating, in what quantities, and why.
In this study conducted by a scientist from the University of California at San Francisco, 200 obese adults were randomly assigned to a mindfulness intervention or a more traditional attention program for 5.5 months. Both groups received information on diet and physical activity, but patients in the “mindfulness” group had additional meditation sessions, and learned to be more attentive when taking food. All were then followed for 1 year after the end of the intervention.
Mindfulness meditation: effects on blood sugar, triglycerides and HDL
18 months after the start of the intervention, both groups lost weight, with a tendency for greater loss in the mindfulness group (4.3% of initial weight). The authors also found, in “mindfulness meditation” patients, more favorable effects for fasting blood sugar and the triglyceride/HDL cholesterol ratio, suggesting a benefit on the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk.
Source
Daubenmier J. et al: Effects of a mindfulness-based weight loss intervention in adults with obesity: A randomized clinical trial. Obesity, 10.1002/oby.21396
