"Enjoying original works of art in a gallery can relieve stress, reduce the risk of heart disease and boost your immune system, according to the first study of its kind. Researchers measured the physiological responses of participants while viewing masterpieces by world-renowned artists including Manet, Van Gogh and Gauguin in a gallery. They found that art positively influences the immune, hormone and nervous systems all at once something never previously recorded."
"From these samples, researchers found that levels of the stress hormone cortisol fell by an average of 22% among those viewing original art, compared with just 8% looking at reproductions. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-alpha) linked to stress and a number of chronic diseases fell by 30% and 28% respectively among those in the gallery, with no changes in the other group. This suggests art has a potential calming effect on the body's inflammatory responses."
Fifty adults aged 18 to 40 were divided between viewing original paintings in a gallery and viewing reproductions in a non-gallery setting. Continuous sensors recorded heart rate and skin temperature during 20-minute sessions while saliva samples were collected before and after viewing. Cortisol levels fell by an average of 22% in the original-art group versus 8% in the reproduction group. Pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha dropped by 30% and 28% respectively among gallery viewers, with no change in the other group. Viewing original art concurrently influenced immune, hormonal, and nervous-system measures, indicating calming physiological effects.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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