Singing boosts the immune system
According to scientific research conducted in Germany by researchers at the University of Frankfurt and published in the American Journal of Behavioral Medicine...
... singing boosts the immune system.
Researchers conducted saliva tests on singers in a professional choir before and after a rehearsal and performance of Mozart's Requiem.
They found that concentrations of immunoglobulin A (a protein in the immune system that functions as an antibody), increased dramatically during the rehearsal and even more significantly during the performance, and that cortisol (a stress hormone) levels also decreased...
The researchers, including Hans Guenther Bastian of the Institute of Music Education at the University of Frankfurt, concluded that singing not only boosted the immune system but improved their mood. "
That's not all!
Numerous studies demonstrating the health benefits of singing have been conducted over many years, and the evidence is astounding.
According to Professor Graham Welch, Director of Educational Research at the University of Surrey, Roehampton, UK:
Singing triggers the release of endorphins in the body and increases energy and mood. People who sing are healthier than those who do not.
Singing exercises the lungs (because singers learn deep breathing)
Singing tones the abdominal and intercostal muscles and the diaphragm and stimulates circulation.
Singing makes us breathe more deeply than strenuous physical exercise. "
The health benefits of singing are now widely documented.
In another article we can also read:
Singing improves mood by producing the same feel-good chemicals as sex or chocolate
Singing is a very effective stress reliever and improves sleep
Singing triggers the release of endorphins that relieve pain
Singing improves posture
Increases breathing capacity
Frees the sinuses and bronchial tubes
Makes you more allergic
Tones facial and abdominal muscles
Strengthens the immune system, helping to fight disease and extend life expectancy
Develops self-confidence...
An article published in 2016 by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, also reveals that singing affects mood, stress, cortisol, cytokine (cytokines are molecules that play a role in immune system function) and neuropeptide activity in cancer patients.
Beyond the vocal aesthetics
Whether you want to sing for others or for yourself, learning how to use your voice and breathing with an attentive coach to benefit from these simple vocal gestures can help you develop a daily habit that is extremely beneficial to your well-being and longevity.
For example, therapist Jovita Wallace explains that singing a particular vowel sound for 2 to 3 minutes (which we do as a vocal and breathing warm-up at the beginning of each singing class) can, depending on the vowel used (and I would add: also on the note on which this vowel sound is sung)
Increase oxygen in the blood, which signals the brain to release endorphins and thus optimize the mood
Stimulate the pineal gland, a small gland in the brain that secretes melatonin and controls the body's biological rhythms
Stimulate the thyroid gland which secretes hormones that regulate digestion and metabolism
Stimulate the pancreas which regulates blood sugar levels
Activate the spleen responsible for the production of white blood cells and thus strengthen the immune system to fight infection.
So Jean de Lafontaine! "The cicada having sung all summer" was not so "deprived when the winter came"!
sources articles