Visiting art museums reduces stress, strengthens heart and immune system, new study finds
If you think visiting an art museum or gallery is just a cultural pastime, think again. A new study from King’s College London has found that viewing original artworks can have immediate and measurable health benefits — reducing stress, improving heart function, and even lowering the risk of chronic disease.
Fifty volunteers aged 18 to 40 participated in the experiment. Half viewed original masterpieces by Van Gogh, Manet, and Gauguin at London’s Courtauld Gallery, while the others saw replicas of the same paintings in a neutral, non-gallery setting.
All participants wore digital sensors that continuously tracked heart rate and skin temperature during 20-minute viewing sessions. Saliva samples were taken before and after to assess hormonal changes.
Results showed that cortisol levels — the body’s main stress hormone — dropped by 22% among those viewing original art, compared to just 8% among those viewing reproductions. Participants exposed to original artworks also displayed more dynamic heart activity, suggesting that art engages the body through emotional stimulation and stress regulation simultaneously.
https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/hy1oxr1y11e
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Art is good for you!
Something I've always known!