Abstract
We examined the hypothesis that mindfulness is associated with lower levels of stress-induced inflammation. On two consecutive days, plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) were assessed at baseline and at 30 and 120 min following exposure to a standardized laboratory stressor in a sample of 46 healthy young adults. Participants who were higher in trait mindfulness exhibited significantly lower IL-6 responses to a novel stressor, even when controlling for subjective distress, age, gender, and BMI. Mindfulness was not related to Il-6 response to a repeated stressor. These findings suggest that mindfulness may serve as a protective factor against stress-induced inflammation in response to novel stressors.