Meditation may lower risk of dementia, new study reveals – and experts say they now think they know why (Daily Mail)

Daily Mail featured research led by Mara Mather on how breathing exercises may reduce risk factors for dementia. “We found that daily sessions involving breathing slowly to increase oscillations in heart rate tends to decrease levels of amyloid-beta in the blood, Mather said. “Amyloid-beta is a peptide (a small protein) that is a normal byproduct of cellular activity that is, like other metabolic waste products, usually cleared out of the brain and body. However, if production levels are too high or clearance rates are not high enough, amyloid-beta levels increase and can start to aggregate (stick together) in the brain, forming amyloid-beta plaque, a signature feature of Alzheimer’s disease.”