A common and often neglected factor behind almost every ailment is stress. When your brain and body go into the ‘fight or flight mode,’ there is an influx of neurochemicals, making all diseases much worse. Mindfulness essentially trains your body to stay calm even in distressing situations, thereby reducing the hormonal response. This then leads to overall better results, not just healthwise. Also, staying calm clears our minds enough to notice smaller issues that might go unnoticed, even in the absence of stress. There are six scientifically proven health benefits of mindfulness.

Researchers from Brown University have revealed that this mind-body training through mindfulness enables people to better keep tabs on their emotions. This automatically improves blood pressure ratings.

When their brains were reviewed, it was noted that the brains of those who meditated or practiced mindfulness showed increased activity in memory-related parts of the brain than those who did not practice it.

A clinical trial that included 16 weeks of an evidence-based program of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and then eight weeks of biweekly MBSR treatment discovered this benefit of mindfulness. After the study, researchers found that this pattern gave better relief from migraines than any of its contemporaries. Another study revealed that yoga also helps migraine patients in that they are fewer and less severe.

A recent study from Oxford University revealed that IBS patients saw a 13% reduction in symptoms & a 28% reduced follow-up after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

Through a study of patients with fibromyalgia, it was observed that medicines are often complimented with massage, meditation, and vitamins leading to a better quality of life with less pain.

A research involving participants in forest bathing came forward with a revelation. It was found that those who went on a slow walk through the forest observing the surroundings had a hike of natural killer cells in blood levels. The causes for this are cited to be the phytoncides released by trees to protect foliage against microbes. These are also found to be effective in stimulating the immune system among humans.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is one of the major conservation laws in the USA. It was put in place to help recover endangered species and prevent needless extinction. Since it was created in 1973, the ESA has been continuously refreshed to adapt to new circumstances and improve how it works towards its goals. The act has achieved some of its objectives, and experts are preparing to evaluate how successful it has been so far.

The Benefits of ESA

ESA has been a huge success for American wildlife. Based on the reports presented by the Center for Biological Diversity, the act has saved over 1,600 species from extinction and prevented countless others from joining them on the brink. American alligators, gray wolves, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and humpback whales are a few of the endangered species that were saved. In addition to protecting individual animals, the ESA has also been credited with helping save entire ecosystems by preventing habitat loss through logging and other activities. The ESA helps many small populations of animals who would not otherwise survive in some areas of their natural habitat. Approximately 227 species would have become extinct if the law was not introduced.

Inadequacies and Reasons

Although there is no doubt that ESA has produced promising results in the past, many studies from Columbia and Princeton researchers show there are not adequate funds being allotted for the conservation of wildlife species. When calculated per species, ESA funding has dropped by roughly 50% since 1985. They also discovered that from 5.9 years in the 1990s to 9.1 years more recently, the average wait time for a species to be listed has nearly doubled over the years. The end result is that by the time a species is protected, it may already have reached a stage where the ESA may no longer be of use. That being said, over the years, ESA has done an incredible job and continues to do so.