Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 20: Yoga may help improve cognitive function, reduce depressive symptoms and partially restore healthy gut bacteria among people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study by researchers at AIIMS Delhi.
The collaborative study by the Departments of Anatomy and Neurology at AIIMS, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in June, found that a structured 12-week yoga programme was linked to improvements in memory performance, mood and gut microbiome composition among patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr Rima Dada, Professor in the Department of Anatomy at AIIMS and corresponding author of the study, said the findings provide early evidence that lifestyle interventions such as yoga may help create a healthier microbial environment in the gut.
“The enrichment of beneficial bacteria and reduction of pro-inflammatory microbes after yoga point towards biological mechanisms that could contribute to improved brain health,” she said.
Dr Manjari Tripathi, Head of the Department of Neurology at AIIMS Delhi, said yoga cannot be considered a cure for Alzheimer’s disease but may serve as a supportive therapy in early stages of the condition and mild cognitive impairment.
The study examined patients diagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s disease along with cognitively healthy individuals. Alzheimer’s patients participated in supervised 60-minute yoga sessions every day for 12 weeks, after which researchers assessed cognitive performance, depressive symptoms and gut microbial changes.
Researchers found significant improvement in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores, a standard measure of cognitive ability, after the yoga intervention. Depression scores measured through the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) also showed a noticeable decline.
The study also found positive changes in gut bacteria. Beneficial microbes associated with the production of short-chain fatty acids, which are linked to reduced inflammation and improved gut and brain health, increased after yoga.
These included bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia intestinalis, Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia.
At the same time, potentially harmful and inflammation-related microbes including Collinsella aerofaciens and Klebsiella species showed a decline.
Researchers observed that the gut microbiome profiles of Alzheimer’s patients moved closer to those of healthy participants after the yoga programme, indicating partial restoration of microbial balance.
The authors suggested that yoga may influence the gut-brain axis by reducing stress, improving nervous system regulation and supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria.
“These microbial and functional improvements were accompanied by enhanced cognitive performance and reduced depressive symptoms, suggesting beneficial modulation of the gut-brain axis in Alzheimer’s disease participants,” the researchers said.
However, the study also had limitations, including a small sample size and the absence of a separate control group receiving another intervention.
Researchers said larger clinical trials with longer follow-up periods, dietary monitoring and additional biological analysis would be required to confirm whether yoga directly causes the observed improvements.
Despite these limitations, the study adds to growing evidence that yoga could serve as an affordable, non-drug supportive approach to improve cognitive and emotional well-being among people living with Alzheimer’s disease.