Not only do we know about the release of endorphins when we sing, they're the "happy" chemicals, plus the increase in heart rate and oxygen intake and improved posture and breathing and so on,  but now a new study has evidence that there are more feel good chemicals released when we sing in choirs especially, so read on...

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A special episode of Trust Me, I'm a Doctor was broadcast on BBC Two as part of BBC Music Day, 26th September 2018, an annual celebration of the power of music to change lives. 

In a Trust Me first, they revealed that group singing can release chemicals that give us a ‘natural high’.

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We’ve all heard of a ‘runners high’ but what actually causes it? And can other activities have the same benefit for our mood and mental wellbeing? Michael Mosley teamed up with experts at the University of Nottingham and with members of the Derbyshire Rock Choir to put singing, cycling, and dancing to the test. He wants to find out whether any of these activities can boost our levels of endocannabinoids - neurotransmitters thought to be a cause of the ‘natural high’.

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To date no other studies have measured endocannabinoid levels after singing and dancing, and in a Trust Me first we found out what singers around the world have long suspected: that group singing can boost endocannabinoids to give our brains a buzz - an exciting discovery that, in future, could help our approach to mental health.

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How music and singing can help mothers recover from postnatal depression
Mental illness affects one in 10 new mothers. Psychiatrist Alain Gregoire explored the signs and symptoms of found out about exciting new research that suggested music and singing can help to speed up recovery.

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Living With Dementia
Dr Zoe Williams looked at what you can do to improve your health if you’re living with dementia and discovers how music, singing, exercise, diet and social interaction can help.

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