Study Shows Music Is Good For The Heart- Especially Country!
Well, after I seemed to have got a few people’s blood pressure up with my last post I feel as though I should report some good news. According to CTV.ca, “researchers found that music that makes the listener feel good causes the inner lining of the blood vessels to expand, which increases blood flow to the heart. On average, listening to joyful music led blood-vessel dilation in the upper arm to increase by 26 per cent, while music that induced anxiety caused the vessels to narrow by six per cent. The theory is that the positive emotions trigger the release of endorphins, the so-called happy chemicals, in the brain. This in turn activates the vessel-dilating chemical nitric oxide, says lead study author Dr. Michael Miller.” Miller, who is director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, presented the research on Tuesday at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions conference in New Orleans.
The study participants were able to choose what music they listened to while participating. “Many subjects chose country music artists, such as Hal Ketchum and Dwight Yoakam, to make themselves feel happy…”
I saw a study not too long ago that claimed that country music lead people to commit suicide, but I would disagree. I am sure they based it on the idea that they claim country music is sad- ‘I lost my wife and my dog today…got no gas in the truck and more bills to pay…’ that kind of thing. Maybe, they should listen to “Shotgun Willie” by Willie Nelson and get back to me…cause you can’t kill yourself if you are holding a Pabst and a doobie… So, get out there folks and keep it “Country” otherwise your life will be full of anxiety and regret!
