Yoga: Connections among immune system, inflammation, fasting, & disease risk

How to reduce inflammation in the body: the short answer

Research suggests yoga may help lower some markers of inflammation, and early research suggests fasting may too, but neither is a treatment and neither replaces medical care. Inflammation is a normal part of healing. It becomes a concern when it carries on for a long time, and anyone worried about it should see their doctor. This page sets out what the studies found about yoga and inflammation, what Dr Miriam Merad’s fasting research found and how far it goes, and how Chris Lalor, Flametree’s Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher, uses yoga for stress and mindful eating.

Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree. This page sits in our stress and sleep notes.

Here is the article in short form:

• What inflammation is: a normal healing response that can become a long-term problem when it does not settle.
• Yoga, 2018 review: 15 trials; a general pattern of lower inflammatory markers, with mixed results and small studies.
• Yoga, 2024 review: 26 studies; most favourable, but the quality of evidence was poor and the pooled result was not statistically significant.
• Fasting, 2019 Cell paper: short-term fasting reduced inflammatory immune cells in the experiments reported; early research, not eating advice.
• Stress and eating: yoga is used to calm stress and build mindfulness, which can help with food habits.
• Next step: see a doctor about inflammation you are worried about, then try a gentle class.

What is inflammation, and when is it a problem?

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury and infection, and it is helpful in the short term. A cut or a sore that becomes red and swollen is inflamed because the body is healing it. Chronic inflammation is different: it continues in some part of the body for months or years. In a 2018 Psychology Today article summarising the research on yoga and the immune system, psychiatrist Dr Marlynn Wei notes that psychological stress can affect many body systems, including weakening immune function and increasing chronic inflammation (Psychology Today).

If you have symptoms such as ongoing swelling, pain, fever or unexplained tiredness, see your doctor. Yoga works alongside medical care, not instead of it.

Does yoga reduce inflammation?

Reviews of trials suggest yoga may lower some inflammatory markers, but the evidence is still small and mixed. Two reviews are worth knowing.

• 2018, Journal of Behavioral Medicine: the review found 15 randomised controlled trials of yoga and immune function. The evidence was not entirely consistent, but a general pattern emerged suggesting yoga can lower pro-inflammatory markers, with decreases in IL-1beta and indications of reductions in IL-6 and TNF-alpha. The authors said longer practice may be needed for consistent effects, and that the field is young, with more research needed (Falkenberg and colleagues, 2018).
• 2024, Cureus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 26 randomised trials found that most (24) reported a favourable result with yoga, with IL-6, TNF-alpha and CRP the most common markers. But only two studies had a low risk of bias, and the pooled analysis of those three markers was favourable but not statistically significant. The authors called the quality of evidence poor and said yoga may be a complementary approach (Mishra and colleagues, 2024).

In plain words, yoga looks promising as an addition to usual care, but the research does not yet show how much, for whom, or how often. The Psychology Today summary adds that the yoga programs in the trials mostly lasted 8 to 12 weeks, with practice from once a week to daily, and sessions of 30 to 90 minutes, and that researchers do not yet have a conclusive answer on how much is needed.

Can fasting reduce inflammation?

Early research suggests fasting may affect inflammation, but it is not yet advice about how to eat. Dr Miriam Merad leads the Precision Immunology Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. A 2019 paper from her team in the journal Cell reported that short-term fasting reduced the activity of circulating monocytes (a type of inflammatory immune cell) and drastically reduced their number. In mice, it also reported that fasting eased chronic inflammatory disease without weakening the immune response to acute infection. Much of the work was done in mice (Jordan and colleagues, Cell, 2019).

Chris heard Dr Merad describe this work in a podcast interview. In her summary, Dr Merad explained that eating signals the immune system, and that going without food for some hours lets immune cells rest, and that she tried intermittent fasting herself and noticed more energy. That is Chris’s summary of an interview, not a transcript, so please treat it as her account and read the paper for the science. The lab findings do not tell any individual how or whether to fast. Our page on intermittent fasting and yoga covers who should not fast and why to talk to your doctor first.

How does yoga fit in?

Chris uses yoga to calm stress and to build the mindfulness that helps people notice their eating habits. That is her teaching view, and it is built on practice, not on a trial about inflammation. In her experience, yoga is a way to slow down, feel what your body is doing, and make changes a little at a time. Some of what yoga offers is open to testing, and some comes from the tradition and from teaching experience.

• Stress: restful poses such as Legs Up The Wall and supported poses on bolsters are used to calm the nervous system. See yoga and the immune system for what is known about stress, sleep and immunity.
• Mindful eating: the habit of paying attention in yoga carries over to taking more time to chew food and enjoy its flavours.
• Whole foods and less sugar: Chris suggests more healthy whole foods and fewer fried, sugary foods. This is her general suggestion, not a treatment. See how to quit sugar cravings.
• Inversions: some inverted poses, such as shoulder stand and headstand, are taught step by step in class. They are not suitable for everyone, so learn them with a teacher.

Flametree has no view on what you should eat, or when. Chris’s focus is wellness, and how yoga can help with stress. People of all sizes and shapes can do yoga very well, and what you choose for your own wellbeing is your choice.

Which yoga poses help with inflammation?

No particular pose has been shown to reduce inflammation. The trials above tested whole yoga programs, mostly of hatha yoga, rather than single poses. If you want to try, a regular, gentle practice with a teacher who adapts the poses to you is a reasonable start. Our notes on gentle yoga for beginners and restorative yoga explain what to expect.

Practise this at Flametree

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online.

• New to Flametree? Your first class is free. In the studio, just come along. Online, go to our online class list, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
• Beginners: new students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. See the beginner half price pass.
• Already practising yoga? The same half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, for new students and for anyone away three months or more, is also available as the non-beginner half price pass.
• See every class time, including online classes, on the timetable.

Can’t make a class? Practise at home with our video courses.

Related reading: yoga and the immune system, intermittent fasting and yoga, legs up the wall and yoga for improved sleep.

How to reduce inflammation in the body: frequently asked questions

How do you reduce inflammation in the body?

See your doctor first if you are worried about inflammation. Research suggests yoga may help lower some inflammatory markers and fasting may too, but neither is a treatment. Moving gently, managing stress and eating whole foods are general habits Chris suggests.

Does yoga reduce inflammation?

A 2018 review of 15 trials found a general pattern of lower pro-inflammatory markers with yoga, and a 2024 review of 26 trials found most reported favourable results. The evidence is small and mixed, and the 2024 authors called its quality poor.

What does the research say about yoga and inflammation?

Reviews suggest yoga may lower markers such as IL-6, TNF-alpha and CRP, but most trials were small and at high risk of bias. Researchers say more and better research is needed before we know how much yoga helps.

Can fasting reduce inflammation?

A 2019 paper in Cell from Dr Miriam Merad’s team found that short-term fasting reduced the activity and number of circulating inflammatory monocytes in the experiments reported. It is early research, and it is not advice for any individual. Talk to your doctor before fasting.

What is chronic inflammation?

Chronic inflammation is inflammation that continues in some part of the body for months or years, unlike the short-term inflammation that helps heal a cut or an infection. See your doctor if you have ongoing swelling, pain or unexplained tiredness.

Which yoga poses help with inflammation?

No particular pose has been shown to reduce inflammation. The trials tested whole yoga programs, mostly of hatha yoga. A regular, gentle practice with a teacher who adapts the poses to you is a reasonable start.

How often do I need to do yoga for inflammation?

Researchers do not yet have a conclusive answer. In the trials, programs mostly lasted 8 to 12 weeks, with practice from once a week to daily, and sessions of 30 to 90 minutes, according to a Psychology Today summary.

Should I see a doctor about inflammation?

Yes, if you have ongoing swelling, pain, fever or unexplained tiredness, or a diagnosed inflammatory condition. Yoga works alongside medical care, not instead of it, and nobody should change or stop a medicine because of something they read online.

Where can I do yoga for stress in Darwin?

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in Darwin and LIVE online, with Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and yoga therapist Christine (Chris) Lalor. Gentle and restorative classes suit stressful weeks, and your first class is free if you are new to Flametree (in the studio, if you have lived in the NT for three months or more; online, anyone new).

This article is general information, not medical advice. Yoga and fasting are not treatments for inflammation or any disease. See your doctor about symptoms or conditions you are worried about. Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and LIVE online.

Sources (studies found through PubMed): Falkenberg RI, Eising C and Peters ML, Yoga and immune system functioning: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials, Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2018, doi 10.1007/s10865-018-9914-y. Mishra B and colleagues, Effectiveness of yoga in modulating markers of immunity and inflammation: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Cureus, 2024, doi 10.7759/cureus.57541. Jordan S, Merad M and colleagues, Dietary intake regulates the circulating inflammatory monocyte pool, Cell, 2019, doi 10.1016/j.cell.2019.07.050. Wei M, Psychology Today, 2018, New research: how yoga boosts your immune system. Chris Lalor’s own teaching and her summary of a podcast interview with Dr Miriam Merad.