Researchers analyzed the effects of Qigong practice on unstimulated saliva (Bayat-Movahed et al., 2008). They measured the volume, pH and secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) level of saliva in Qigong practitioners.
A total of 23 healthy volunteers aged 22-24 were involved in the study. These participants had special Qigong training and massaged acupuncture points to stimulate the energy cycle and promote body water energy. The researchers measured unstimulated saliva volume and pH before and after the volunteers practiced Qigong.
The study showed that unstimulated saliva volume and S-IgA level after Qigong exercises were significantly increased, compared with those before the exercise. The researchers did not find significant changes in pH.
The study indicates that Qigong may have its beneficial effects through promoting salivary volume and other parameters. Such results suggest that Qigong may be helpful for patients with salivary hyposecretion. Further studies and larger scale clinical trials are needed to study the mechanisms of Qigong and how these mechanisms can be used for disease treatment.
Reference:
Bayat-Movahed, S., Shayesteh, Y., et al. (2008) Effects of Qigong exercises on 3 different parameters of human saliva. Chin J Integr Med 14, 262-266.
