The Forgotten Habit That Lowers Dementia, Depression & Aging | Daisy Fancourt
Engaging with the arts—whether dancing, listening to music, or reading—isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a powerful health intervention. Research shows that regular arts engagement can lower blood pressure by 9-10 points, slow biological aging at the cellular level (similar to exercise), and reduce mo
1h 23mKey Takeaway
Engaging with the arts—whether dancing, listening to music, or reading—isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a powerful health intervention. Research shows that regular arts engagement can lower blood pressure by 9-10 points, slow biological aging at the cellular level (similar to exercise), and reduce mortality risk by 31%. Start today: dedicate 30-60 minutes weekly to an art form you enjoy, giving it your full attention rather than treating it as background noise.
Episode Overview
Dr. Daisy Fancourt, an epidemiologist specializing in arts and health, discusses groundbreaking research showing that regular arts engagement should be considered the fifth pillar of health alongside nutrition, exercise, sleep, and social connection. She reveals how activities like dancing, music, reading, and crafts influence biological aging, brain health, blood pressure, and longevity, often with effect sizes comparable to traditional health behaviors.
Key Insights
Arts Engagement Slows Biological Aging at the Cellular Level
Regular arts engagement influences epigenetic aging clocks—patterns of DNA methylation that indicate how fast we're aging biologically. People with frequent and diverse arts practices show younger epigenetic age and decelerated brain aging, with effect sizes similar to physical activity. This isn't just surface-level wellbeing; it affects the fundamental building blocks of health.
Music Can Lower Blood Pressure as Effectively as Medication
Studies show that adding daily music listening to standard hypertension treatment produces additional reductions of 9-10 points in systolic blood pressure—comparable to or exceeding some pharmaceutical interventions. This works primarily through music's potent relaxation effects, addressing the chronic stress that drives high blood pressure in modern society.
Dancing Provides 'Whole Brain Workout' Superior to Brain Training Apps
Unlike brain training apps that focus on isolated cognitive processes, dance engages multiple brain regions simultaneously through coordination, music, social interaction, and physical movement. This multi-dimensional stimulation improves cognitive reserve, balance, bone density, and reduces dementia risk—making it more effective than single-focus cognitive training.
The Icebreaker Effect: Arts Accelerate Human Bonding
Research shows that singing or dancing with others creates faster, stronger social bonds than chatting or exercising together. This 'icebreaker effect' may explain why arts emerged in early human societies, often in healing or ritual contexts, as a way to strengthen group cohesion before language fully developed.
Screen-Based Arts Are the 'Ultra-Processed Food' of Cultural Engagement
While watching dramas or films has some benefits, studies comparing screen-based arts to in-person engagement show consistently smaller effects. Active, attentive participation—not passive consumption—unlocks the full health benefits. Just 5% of adults in the US actively engaged in arts yesterday, compared to 57% who ate vegetables.
Notable Quotes
"Over the last few decades, we've had this absolute explosion of scientific studies looking at how the arts influence our mind, brain, body, and behavior. And now we're seeing from that research that arts can have really tangible, meaningful effects on us, often with similar effect sizes that we see from other behaviors like physical activity or sleep."
"It's been this bizarrely well-kept secret. And I think part of it is that, you know, it's a natural process that you have to get evidence that builds up gradually over time that then gradually starts to reach public awareness. But, I also think that there is a sort of challenge in the way that we view arts in society. We often think of them as this sort of fluffy, luxury thing that shouldn't really be a priority."
"People who are regularly engaged in arts and culture have longer lifespans. And initially we thought, well, is this actually anything to do with arts and culture or is it just that people are wealthier or they've got other lifestyle behaviors that are healthier. But actually now we've used so many different methods testing all of these other explanations. And yes, they explain a bit of the association, but we still see this very strong and clear link that the more regularly people are engaged in the arts independent of those factors, the longer their lifespan."
"There was this big craze a few years ago for brain training apps that were all about, you know, playing a particular game. But actually, when the big studies came out on them, they didn't really have the big impact that people had been hoping because they realized that these apps are often sort of focusing on one particular cognitive process, and training one process doesn't mean you're training all of the brain. But actually, things like arts, dance, music, they involve so many different brain regions. Effectively becomes a kind of whole brain workout."
"In our study, we looked at representative sample of adults in the US and said, 'How many minutes yesterday did you spend actively doing the arts?' Only 5% of people said they did any arts yesterday. And that was compared to 57% of people in high-income countries who say they will have eaten vegetables yesterday, and 40% who say they've exercised."
Action Items
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1
Schedule Weekly Arts Time with Full Attention
Block 30-60 minutes per week for active arts engagement—dancing, playing music, reading, crafting, or attending live performances. Give it your full attention rather than treating it as background activity. Regular weekly engagement shows cumulative health benefits over time.
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2
Supercharge Social Time with Arts Activities
Instead of just meeting friends for drinks or dinner, attend live music events, exhibitions, or shows together. This combines social benefits with the additive health effects of arts engagement and leverages the 'icebreaker effect' for deeper bonding.
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3
Replace Pure Exercise with Dance-Based Movement
Consider replacing some aerobic exercise sessions with dance classes or dance-based workouts. Studies show dance provides the same cardiovascular benefits as regular exercise, plus additional cognitive, coordination, and mental health benefits from the music and creative movement.
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4
Practice Daily Attentive Music Listening
Set aside 15-30 minutes daily to actively listen to music you enjoy, rather than using it as background noise. For blood pressure benefits, choose relaxing or classical music. Focus entirely on the listening experience to activate dopamine reward systems and stress reduction pathways.