Music has heart-healing powers! Listening to your favorite music for an hour just every other week can lower your blood pressure. In a recent Japanese study, people who did this for just few months lowered their blood pressure by up to six points, which researchers say is equal to going on a low-salt diet, losing ten pounds, or taking blood-pressure-lowering medication!
Does it get any easier than that? Well yes, actually…just laugh! The same study found that “laughter sessions” had similar effects on blood pressure, lowering participant’s levels by 5 or 6 points. Laughter sessions included listening to humorous storytelling similar to standup comedy, and laughter yoga – a practice of faking laughter until it feels natural.
How, exactly, music and laughter lower blood pressure remains unclear. The lead study researcher, Eri Eguchi, says that he believes it may lower cortisol levels, which can contribute to high blood pressure.
Music and laughter may not be sufficient enough to treat high blood pressure, and should not replace any medication you may be on. But it could, perhaps, increase your likelihood of going off medication or reducing the dosage. Regardless, a little more music and laughter in your life couldn’t hurt!
