Health Benefits   

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Tai chi's health benefits have traditionally been seen in the context of Chinese medicine, with the nurturing of chi and improving energy flow through the body's meridians or internal energy channels (as in acupuncture, yoga etc).

Of course, this view of the body's energetic and healing system is not found in western medicine and so there is a new and growing body of studies being undertaken in the West to test exactly what benefits the practice of tai chi can be shown to bring.

Some recent studies

Weight loss
Surprisingly, Tai chi's gentle, low impact movements burn more calories than surfing and nearly as many as downhill skiing! 
 ["Calories burned during exercise". NutriStrategy.http://www.nutristrategy.com.] 

Cholesterol
Tai chi, along with yoga, has reduced levels of LDLs 20–26 milligrams when practiced for 12–14 weeks.  [Brody, Jane E. (2007-08-21). "Cutting Cholesterol, an Uphill Battle". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21.] 

Stress and mental health 
 There have also been indications that tai chi might have some effect on noradrenaline and cortisol production with an effect on mood and heart rate. However, the effect may be no different than those derived from other types of physical exercise. [Jin, P (1989). "Changes in Heart  Rate, Noradrenaline, Cortisol and Mood During Tai Chi". Journal of Psychosomatic Research 33 (2): 197–206. ] 

ADD & Hyperactivity
In one study, tai chi has also been shown to reduce the symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in 13 adolescents. The improvement in symptoms seem to persist after the tai chi sessions were terminated. [Hernandez-Reif, M; Field, TM & Thimas, E (2001)."Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: benefits from Tai Chi". Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies 5 (2): 120–123.] 

Immune System
A recent study evaluated the effects of two types of behavioural intervention, tai chi and health education, on healthy adults, who, after 16 weeks of the intervention, were vaccinated with VARIVAX, a live attenuated Oka/Merck Varicella zoster virus vaccine. The tai chi group showed higher and more significant levels of cell-mediated immunity to varicella zoster virus than the control group that received only health education. It appears that tai chi augments resting levels of varicella zoster virus-specific cell-mediated immunity and boosts the efficacy of the varicella vaccine. Tai chi alone does not lessen the effects or probability of a shingles attack, but it does improve the effects of the varicella zoster virus vaccine.
[Irwin, MR; Olmstead, R & Oxman, MN (2007). "Augmenting Immune Responses to Varicella Zoster Virus in Older Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Tai Chi". Journal of the American Geriatrics Society]

Joint Pain
A study by Dr Chenchen of the Tufts Medical Center in Boston found that tai chi (compared to regular stretching) showed the ability to greatly reduce pain and improve overall physical and mental health in people over 60 with severe osteoarthritis of the knee. 
 [Dunham, Will (October 25, 2008). "Tai chi helps cut pain of knee arthritis: study". Reuters.http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE49P00R20081026. ] 

Fibromyalgia
In a randomized trial of 66 patients with fibromyalgia, the tai chi intervention group did significantly better in terms of pain, fatigue, sleeplessness and depression than a comparable group given stretching exercises and wellness education. 
["Calories burned during exercise".NutriStrategy. http://www.nutristrategy.com.]

Diabetes
A pilot study, which has not been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, has found preliminary evidence that tai chi and related gigong may reduce the severity of diabetes. 
 [Pennington, LD (2006). "Tai chi: an effective alternative exercise". DiabetesHealth.http://www.diabeteshealth.com.] 

Chronic conditions
Researchers have found that tai chi practice shows favourable effects :-
·         on the promotion of balance control, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, and has been shown to reduce the risk of falls in frail and elderly patients,  
[Wolf, SL; Sattin RW & Kutner M (2003). "Intense tai chi exercise training and fall occurrences in older, transitionally frail adults: a randomized, controlled trial". Journal of the American Geriatric Society 51 (12): 1693–701.] 

·         and those recovering from chronic stroke,
 [ Au-Yeung, PhD, Stephanie S. Y.; Christina W. Y. Hui-Chan, PhD, and Jervis C. S. Tang, MSW (January 7, 2009). "Short-form Tai Chi Improves Standing Balance of People With Chronic Stroke". Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 23 (5): http://nnr.sagepub.com.] 

·         heart failure, high blood pressure, heart attacks, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and fibromyalgia. 
 [McAlindon, T, Wang, C; Schmid, CH; Rones, R; Kalish, R; Yinh, J; Goldenberg, DL; Lee, Y; McAlindon, T (August 19, 2010). "A Randomized Trial of Tai Chi for Fibromyalgia.". New England Journal of Medicine 363 (8): 743–754..] 


Future Studies
Now that studies have displayed tangible benefits in some areas from the practice of tai chi, health professionals have called for more in-depth studies to determine mitigating factors such as the most beneficial style, suggested duration of practice to show the best results, etcand whether tai chi is as effective as other forms of exercise. 
[Wang, C; Collet JP & Lau J (2004). "The effect of Tai Chi on health outcomes in patients with chronic conditions: a systematic review". Archives of Internal Medicine 164 (5): 493–501.]