Study Found that Tai Chi Does Slow Down Aging

In May 2009 many Warragul and Neerim South students contributed their "spit" to science.

The study is now completed and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute has informed us of their findings. Here is a quote from the research team;

"The study used the DNA we obtained and isolated from the mouth‐wash samples we collected from you. We designed an experimental strategy to measure changes in the DNA prepared from tai chi practitioners and from people who had never done tai chi. We looked specifically at genes whose functions normally decline with age. Our measurements revealed that regular tai chi practice appeared to slow down such a decline, at least in the few genes we had selected for our study.

This preliminary finding, whilst exciting, clearly needs further investigation before we can be confident of its validity. If the results can be confirmed, it would suggest that tai chi practice can influence how our genes work, and would allow us to begin to understand the mechanisms by which tai chi brings about its many health and disease benefits. We are currently in the process of applying for new fundings to continue with the project."