Practicing mindfulness meditation on a regular basis will not make you any more likely to eat healthily, exercise or quit smoking, new research suggests.
Despite being seen as one of the ultimate ways to relax, regular mindfulness courses do not help humans unwind any more than sitting in front of the TV.
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An experiment, carried out by researchers at the universities of Edinburgh and Gothenburg, put 139 students on a six-week online 'mindfulness-based stress reduction' course called Be Mindful.
Meanwhile, another group were told to watch weekly episodes of the 2011 BBC documentary Ancient History.
Both groups were then tested regularly for stress, risk-taking and time preferences, as well as health-related behaviours, and the results were assessed at the end of a six-month period.
The study found no significant differences in sleeping, smoking, drinking or binge-eating habits between those who conducted mindfulness – which focuses on concentration and calmness – and those who simply relaxed in front of the television.
However, it did find that mindfulness intervention 'significantly' reduces perceived stress and anxiety
Yonas Alem, who led the study, said in the paper: 'Half of the participants were assigned to a 'Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction' programme while the other half was asked to watch a documentary series called 'BBC Ancient Worlds'.
'We find that the mindfulness intervention significantly reduces perceived stress, but the evidence based on physiological measures of stress (cortisol) is less conclusive.
'We find indicative evidence that participants may have become more risk averse, as well as more patient and less present biased, but these results are not statistically significant. On the other hand, participants in the MBSR treatment score higher on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale based on survey questions.
'We fail to find any evidence - even suggestive - of changes in other health-related behaviours such as sleep, alcohol consumption and smoking.
'Overall, we conclude that such interventions appear to be effective at reducing 'feelings of stress', but the effects on decision-making and health-related behaviours are not entirely clear.'
All of those who took part in the study were required to be at least 18 years old and students at the University of Edinburgh, who did not have any pre-existing medical conditions.
The news comes following a huge rise in the number of people practicing mindfulness in Britain.
Many claim it helps them to relax after a long day at work and some experts believe it can reduce depression, anxiety and stress.
Those who practice mindfulness are told to concentrate on noticing their breathing and pay attention to sensations in their body.
It teaches humans to exist in the present and advocates say this help people feel more calm and content – stopping them from constantly dwelling on the past.
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