Practioners report better wellness.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

People who practice yoga or take natural products--such as dietary supplements other than vitamins and minerals--are more likely to do so for wellness reasons than to treat a specific health condition, according to an analysis of data from the annual National Health Interview Survey. Yoga users report the most positive health benefits, compared to users of natural products and spinal manipulation.

"Though yoga seems to play the biggest role, people who use a variety of complementary health approaches reported better well-being," says Josephine P. Briggs, director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Bethesda, Md.

"This may suggest that people perceive more wellness benefit when they are actively involved in their health, for example, by practicing yoga. More research is needed to better understand the ways yoga and other approaches impact overall health."

The analysis...