Cell biologist, Sundar Balasubramanian, points out in the Discover Magazine that the ancient yoga practice of Pranayama is about more than relaxing — it can change us at the cellular level. The study by Sundar Balasubramanian points out that increased saliva production during Pranayama has numerous benefits. Saliva has numerous antibodies and proteins that do everything from suppressing tumors to regenerating the liver. For example, it contains immunoglobulin, which are antibodies that bind to germs, as well as DMBT1, a tumor suppressor that blocks the conversion of normal cells to cancer cells. Studies have shown that Pranayama changes the makeup of saliva by increasing the amount of nerve growth factor (NGF). When NGF is produced, it’s transported to the brain, where it signals nerve cells to grow or survive longer. Increased NGF could have a major impact on aging, and specifically on some of the degenerative diseases of the day like Alzheimer’s and cancer. Yogini Cel