The music Serves to provide great health benefits such as: maintaining heart rate, reassuring the baby, reducing anxiety or depression, among many others.
Also, experts say it improves vision and our cognitive and verbal skills.
In short, it is possible to say that music serves:"To express, to listen, to silence, to change, to be different, to be equal, to unite, to strengthen, to harmonize, to define, to be unique, to live, to reflect, to diverge, to agree, , To support, to reach, to try again, to imagine, to inspire, etc." (Red Maestro Music Portal).
Therefore, if one focuses on health, music influences positively in broad strokes. Above all, in the improvement of brain functions, which, in turn, derives from other contributions to our body that are worth knowing below:
Benefits that music brings to health
1- Brain function
To understand the usefulness of music, it is good to go back to the emotional system or Limbic Of the brain, since it processes the feelings in the right hemisphere . This is the one that activates when an individual hears a melody, repercussing in his imagination.
It should be noted that the language covers much of the left hemisphere To be produced. Meanwhile, music uses the right hemisphere . Consequently, these two human functions are reciprocal.
In addition, in that line, the intonation of the language is located in the right hemisphere, and the musical rhythm, in turn, in the left.
2- Decreases anxiety and depression
According to the Collective-evolution site, music helps in the realm of depression and anxiety.
Scientists at Drexel University found that patients with cancer, who listened to their favorite tunes, or worked with a music therapist, reduced their levels of anxiety. They also reported better blood pressure levels and showed better mood.
Therefore, according to experts, music would have positive effects on the human psyche as it fights depression, pain and you get a better quality of life.
3 - Stimulates the body's defenses
According to a study , Relaxing music is able to reduce levels of the stress hormone Cortisol , Which interferes with learning and memory, decreases bone capacity, etc.
According to research, listening to fifty minutes of music daily, increases the body's defenses, boosting the immune system. Although not analyzed the different types of music, the preference of personal melodies, can have those positive effects of protecting health.
4- Improves memory
According to the previous study, music can contribute to improving memory, recording short and long term events, data and information in the brain.
People who participated in the experiment in this study tried to memorize Japanese letters while listening to reflective or positive music for them.
The inquiry showed that participants who were already musicians retained better data, with relaxing music, as well as non-musicians, who with positive music and meditation could memorize the information.
5- Regulates the dream
Music can be a good remedy to combat insomnia and other types of sleep disturbances. In the United States, for example, more than 30% of the population suffers from this disease.
According to the previous studies, a group of students who participated in an investigation showed that they could sleep better after listening to slow music.
6- Maintains the rhythm
For those athletes who run or trot frequently, listening to some stimulating music prompts them to increase their pace or maintain it.
A study Of the University of Brunel in London, showed that music contributes to increase physical resistance by up to 15%. This in turn helps to decrease the perception of effort during exercise and boost energy efficiency by 3%.
Experts say that the best alternatives for this purpose are songs of tropical rhythm, trance, techno, that encourage aerobic movements in practices such as zumba, which can have a metronomic effect on endurance.
7- Chronic patients
On the other hand, music can have a positive impact on patients with long-term illnesses, such as cancer, hypertension, diabetes or respiratory problems.
According to tests made by scientists, music can lower heart and blood pressure.
In this sense and according to Dr. Williamson:"Music can be very useful for someone who is in a situation where they have lost a lot of control of their external environment. Especially for anyone who is in the hospital for a long period of time, with a serious illness and is not able to move."
8- Induce the state of meditation
If a person wishes to relax, listening to classical, Tibetan or Hindu music is a way to fulfill that goal and induce in the body the state of meditation.
Certain musical rhythms, melodic and harmonic, can alter brain waves in a positive way. Create an atmosphere in the brain when a person is in a hypnotic state or, plainly, meditating.
Some research claims that the use of rhythmic stimuli (such as music) induces states may have a therapeutic effect, alleviating migraine symptoms, premenstrual syndrome, or behavioral problems.
9- Improve cognitive performance
A study Carried out with university students, showed that those who listened to classical music while answering a test made better notes than those who did not.
Also, experts suggest that listening to more than one type of music increases cognitive ability.
10- Elevate mood while driving
Some experts say that listening to music while driving a car can have a positive impact on people's moods.
11-Improved function of blood vessels
Some scientists have found that patients who experience positive emotions, such as joy and excitement, while listening to music, that has a healthy effect on the function of blood vessels.
The participants of a study Performed by experts proved that they feel happier listening to music, which led to an increase in blood flow in the blood vessels, improving the circulatory system.
12- Control the appetite
When music is able to reduce stress, relax, elevate mood and kill anxiety, it means it controls appetite.
According to one study, playing soft background music in the dining room, while enjoying the snack, and with low lights, can contribute to eating slower and therefore can consume food at one time.
This generates a feeling of satiety that removes the sensation of hunger and can contribute to reduce of weight if there is need of diet.
12- Mozart Effect
Putting classical music in fetuses and babies is a good way to reassure them, and stimulate their cognitive function.
The so-called"Mozart effect"points to the presumed benefits of listening to music.
This effect"continues to be the object of investigation, without any firm or definitive pronouncement that claims or discards the theory in question."
According to the person skilled in the art Don Campbell , The melody is what stimulates the development of the baby from before being born while it is inside the maternal womb.
In this sense, the voice of the mother, plus the beating of her heart reassure the fetus. "The height of the sounds awakens your ears and stimulates you to develop language, songs, rhythmic games and teach you to move your body with agility."
References
- Study:"The effect of music on the Response to Human Stress"(2013). Myriam V. Thoma, Roberto La Marca, Rebecca Brönnimann, Linda Finkel, Ulrike Ehlert and Urs M. Nater. Robert L. Newton, Editor. Department of Psychology, University of Brandeis, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States.
- Study:"Music improves sleep quality in students"(2008). Semmelweis University, Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
- Study:"Pleasant music affects reinforcement learning according to the listener"(2013). Benjamin P., Michael J. Frank., Brigitte Bogert and Elvira Brattico. Brain Research, Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Department of Music, Finnish Center for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Music Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.