Many massage therapists practice yoga; and, as both are holistic health-care practices dating back many thousands of years, massage and yoga are complementary aspects of a health-care regimen.

New research shows yoga reduces cytokine levels known to promote inflammation.

Researchers at Ohio State University found that women who routinely practiced yoga had lower amounts of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in their blood.

The women also showed smaller increases in IL-6 after stressful experiences than did women who were the same age and weight but who were not yoga practitioners.

IL-6 is an important part of the body's inflammatory response and has been implicated in heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes,

arthritis and a host of other age-related debilitating diseases. Reducing inflammation may provide substantial short- and long-term health benefits, the researchers suggest.

The study is published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine

Ron Glaser, a co-author and a professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics, said that the study has some fairly clear implications for health.

"We know that inflammation plays a major role in many diseases. Yoga appears to be a simple and enjoyable way to add an intervention that might reduce risks for developing heart disease, diabetes and other age-related diseases" he said.

"This is an easy thing people can do to help reduce their risks of illness."

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