Culture, the best anti-aging?

In 2019, the WHO already confirmed that art has positive effects on our mental and physical health. This is what a British study, published on May 11 in the journal Innovation in Aging, came to confirm by providing scientific and quantifiable elements on the benefits that culture can have on the human body. Researchers from theUniversity College London then show that weekly artistic activities would slow down biological aging, in the same way as physical activity.

 

A scientific study

 

This study was carried out on a sample of 3,556 adults in the United Kingdom. The scientists analyzed both the questionnaires on the cultural habits of the participants and their blood tests allowing them to estimate their « Biological age ». From reading to singing, including manual activities and even visits to museums, all practices were taken into account by the study, in the same way as their frequency. To measure patient aging, the team used seven « epigénetic watches » (a biochemical test that measures the accumulation of methyl groups on DNA)which are used to calculate the speed of aging of the human body.

 

Regarding the results, one of these clocks, named « DunedinPACE » proves that people who engaged in artistic activity at least three times a year showed aging 2% slower than people practicing only less than three annual activities. Monthly practice increases this slowdown by up to 3% and up to 4% for weekly practice. Experience shows marked effects mainly among adults aged 40 and over, and even more significant among those with a more diverse cultural repertoire.

 

Another of « epigénetic watches » appeal « PhenoAge » compares a person’s actual age and the age reflected by their health status, a concept known as“Biological age”. The participants with the most frequent cultural practice appear on average one year biologically younger than the others. By following this indicator, people practicing weekly physical activity only appear six months younger, which would insinuate that culture, against all expectations, has a comparable and even greater effect than sport.

 

Des bénéfices concrets

 

“Our study provides the first evidence that participation in artistic and cultural activities is linked to a slowdown in biological aging.†– Feifei Bu

 

According to Feifei Bu, the main author of this study, the conclusions obtained echo research demonstrating that art reduces stress and prevents cardiovascular risks like sport. For Daisy Fancourt, who also worked on this experimentdefends that participation in artistic and cultural activities should be recognized as a behavior beneficial to health thanks to different physical, cognitive, emotional or social components.

 

« These results prove that participation in artistic and cultural activities should be recognized as a beneficial health behavior, in the same way as physical exercise. – Daisy Fancourt

 

This study could then change the way we look at the world of culture, sometimes seen as only recreational or at least therapeutic. These results invite us to review our habits and reconsider the importance of art and culture in our society and our daily lives.