Meditation could have positive impact on gut and overall health

Monks meditate at the Borobudur Mahayana Buddhist in Indonesia Photograph: Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images

It is a practice favoured by Lena Dunham, Tom Hanks and Lady Gaga to boost their focus and bring about calmness in an often busy, distracted world.

Now researchers have found evidence that frequent meditation over several years may help alter the human gut – boosting the body’s immune system and reducing the risk of anxiety, depression and heart disease.