What is Meditation?
Meditation includes a range of mind–body practices (e.g., mindfulness, breathing exercises, guided imagery) designed to promote mental calm, emotional regulation, and self-awareness. In patients with MASLD, meditation supports liver health indirectly by addressing key modifiable risk factors such as stress, insulin resistance, poor sleep, and unhealthy eating behaviors.
Benefits of Meditation in MASLD
1. Reduces Stress and Cortisol Levels
- Chronic stress and elevated cortisol can:
- Worsen insulin resistance
- Promote visceral fat accumulation
- Aggravate liver inflammation
- Meditation reduces sympathetic nervous system activation, supporting lower cortisol and improved metabolic balance.
2. Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Glucose Control
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been shown to:
- Enhance insulin signaling
- Improve fasting glucose and HbA1c in patients with prediabetes or Type II diabetes - conditions commonly comorbid with MASLD
3. Supports Weight Management
- Meditation improves body awareness and emotion regulation, which:
- Reduce Emotional Eating
- Enhances adherence to dietary goals
- Promotes sustainable weight loss - a key goal in MASLD treatment
4. Enhances Sleep Quality
- Poor sleep is linked to worsening hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance.
- Regular meditation can improve sleep latency, duration, and quality, promoting liver repair and circadian regulation.
5. Decreases Inflammation
- Meditation may lower pro-inflammatory markers (e.g., IL-6, CRP), supporting an anti-inflammatory internal environment that can reduce liver stress and injury.
A 2021 review in Frontiers in Endocrinology suggests that mind–body interventions, including meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises, can improve metabolic health and reduce liver fat in people at risk for MASLD.
Small trials and observational studies have shown improvements in ALT, weight, and metabolic markers with mindfulness interventions in patients with obesity or metabolic syndrome.
Meditation is a safe, low-cost, and accessible practice that can be a beneficial adjunct to medical and lifestyle therapies in patients with MASLD. By addressing stress, metabolism, emotional eating, and sleep, meditation supports the whole-person approach to liver health and may contribute to reduced disease progression and improved quality of life.
