A landmark randomized controlled trial involving multiple research centers has found that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique led to significantly better blood sugar control, improved insulin function, higher levels of healthy cholesterol, and reduced overweight and obesity among Black women.

Published in the Journal of Women’s Health, the trial compared TM practice to a structured health education (HE) program over 12 months. It enrolled 201 women from clinical sites at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and Howard University Hospital Heart Center in Washington, D.C.

While both groups showed stabilization of carotid intima-media thickness (a validated measure of early atherosclerosis), only the TM group demonstrated substantial improvements in metabolic health, including hemoglobin A1c, insulin sensitivity, HDL cholesterol, and modest weight loss in overweight participants.

Transcendental Meditation offers unique benefits beyond health education

“Our study shows that Transcendental Meditation goes beyond traditional health education in addressing the metabolic risks that disproportionately affect older Black women,” said Dr. Carolyn Gaylord-King, lead author and Director of MIU’s Intervention Quality at the Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention. “We’re looking at an accessible behavioral intervention that may support not just cardiovascular health but the full range of metabolic factors driving disease.”

Transcendental Meditation is a standardized technique that allows the mind to settle inward to a state of deep rest, shown in previous research to reduce stress and improve neuroendocrine function. Participants in the TM group practiced the technique daily, attended regular group meetings, and demonstrated strong adherence over the course of the study.

Inclusive research addresses critical gaps

“Black women face some of the greatest inequities in heart and metabolic health,” said Charlie Harris, PhD, former faculty in the department of Family Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine, current professor of psychology at Clayton State University, and a co-investigator in this study. “By demonstrating that meditation improves risk factors in this population, we begin to fill a longstanding gap in prevention research.”

The study highlights the role of stress — and chronic stress-related physiology — in metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia. The TM group experienced statistically significant reductions in HbA1c and insulin resistance, markers that were unchanged or worsened in the health education group.

Though both interventions stabilized vascular health markers like carotid artery thickness, only TM practice produced a broader set of benefits for metabolic health. Researchers say this underscores the potential of integrating evidence-based mind-body practices into preventive cardiometabolic care.

The interventions were designed to be culturally tailored, led by trained Black women educators at both clinical sites to reflect the lived experiences, health beliefs, and social contexts of the study population.

“Cultural sensitivity means more than language or appearance,” Gaylord-King said. “It includes designing and delivering interventions that resonate with the values and lived experiences of the community.”

Robert H. Schneider, MD, FACC, senior author and Director of MIU’s Institute for Prevention Research, concluded, “This study highlights the potential of integrating non-pharmacological, mind-body approaches into cardiometabolic care, particularly for high-risk populations.

Other co-investigators include MIU researchers Dr. John Salerno, Dr. Kenneth Walton, and Dr. Sanford Nidich; Shichen Xu, Howard University Hospital Heart Center, Washington, District of Columbia; and C. Noel Bairey-Merz, Barbara Streisand Women’s’ Heart Center, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.

The trial was supported by the National Institutes of Health – National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH-NCCIH). The full paper is available at Journal of Women’s Health.

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Editor’s note – This article was prepared with the help of AI writing assistance tools to summarize the clinical study; our editors reviewed and refined the content to ensure accuracy and clarity. The banner image is an AI-generated image used for illustrative purposes, not a photo of actual study participants.