A latest study has found a possible link between singing “Amazing Grace” and improved heart health.
The study was carried out by researchers on the Medical College of Wisconsin to search out out what effect singing the much-loved hymn might need on the cardiovascular health of older individuals with coronary heart disease, Premier Christian News reports.
Participants within the study were asked to sing two songs out of a number of “This Land Is Your Land” by American folk singer Woody Guthrie, the Beatles’ “Hey Jude”, “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, and the hymn “Amazing Grace”. They needed to sing their chosen songs for 10 minutes each.
The researchers measured vascular function before and after each singing period, and located that “Amazing Grace” had the biggest effect size (22.3%), while the people song “This Land Is Your Land” had the least (10.1%).
The researchers stressed that while the scale of their study – 65 people – meant it was a “strictly exploratory evaluation”, the findings “is likely to be hypothesis-generating” for future research in music medicine.
The study concluded, “Singing needs to be regarded as an accessible and secure therapeutic intervention in an older population who otherwise could have physical or orthopedic limitations hindering participation in traditional exercise.”
“Amazing Grace” was written in 1772 by former slave trader John Newton who converted to Christianity and have become an Anglican clergyman. The hymn stays a staple in church services today and is popular even amongst non-Christians.
