Mindfulness = Healthfulness

Call it the great fullness correlation. Researchers at Brown University have linked mindfulness to healthfulness, at least when it comes to healthful glucose levels. A Brown University news release reports that a study of 399 people that measured health indicators including dispositional mindfulness (the inherent trait of being aware of one’s present thoughts and feelings) and blood glucose, found that people with higher scores for mindfulness were significantly more likely than people with low scores to have healthy glucose levels. What’s up with that? The researchers hypothesize that people practicing higher degrees of mindfulness may be better able to motivate themselves to exercise, to resist cravings for high-fat, high-sugar treats, and to stick with diet and exercise regimens recommended by their doctors. Drilling down a bit, the researchers found that people with high scores (6 or 7) on a test of their mindful awareness were 35 percent more likely to have healthy glucose levels under 100 milligrams per deciliter than people with scores below 4. Obesity made about a 3-percentage point difference of the total 35-percent point risk difference. Sense of control accounted for another 8 percentage points of the effect.