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The Transformational Science Behind Humming

Discover why this ancient pastime feels so good

Andy Murphy
Science For Life
5 min readSep 23, 2021

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Photo by Austin Neill on Unsplash

The power of sound reaches far and wide and has been a part of the human experience from the beginning of time. For as long as we have been able to make sound, we have been singing and chanting through rituals, ceremonies, choirs, and kirtans.

Only now is their science to show what is happening physiologically, and it might surprise you.

When we make a sound or hum, nitric oxide is released through our nasal passageways 15x more than normal. Nitric oxide is known to dilate blood vessels (otherwise known as vasodilation), which improves blood circulation, strengthens the communication between brain cells, and reduces inflammation.

We don’t have to think about how it does what it does or do anything to help it along, it will do it naturally all by itself. Just like the heartbeats, the breath breathes, and the digestion system digests. This is our body’s innate wisdom. However, we can enhance each by engaging in certain activities that we know can support better health.

The ancient pastime of humming is one of those ways.

Nitric Oxide

Nitric Oxide, like carbon dioxide, is a vasodilator (dilates blood vessels). This plays a critical…

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Science For Life
Science For Life

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