“Amazing Grace” is one of the most popular and well-known hymns in modern worship, and a new study has revealed it may offer more than just spiritual benefits. A study conducted by the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee analyzed 65 older adults with a history of coronary disease and found that singing for thirty minutes improved blood vessel function. The song that showed the most improvement? “Amazing Grace,” which was written by John Newton, a former slave ship master turned Christian in 1772.

The study had not set out to prove if a specific song helped, but if singing helped at all. Yet the study did find varying levels of improvement with various songs. “Singing should be considered as an accessible and safe therapeutic intervention in an older population who otherwise may have physical or orthopedic limitations hindering participation in traditional exercise,” noted the study. Study participants ranged from 55 to 79 years old.

The 1968 song “Hey Jude” by the Beatles also offered improvement, as well as “Jolene” by Dolly Parton. But neither was as effective as “Amazing Grace.” The study found that 22 percent of participants showed improvements in blood circulation after singing “Amazing Grace.” The study showed that singing had similar benefits to moderately walking. However, singing can be a much less physical demanding method for older adults, with only about 15.3 percent of men and 10.8 percent of women aged 65 and over being able to meet the requirements for physical activity. “Music as a therapeutic is attractive for a variety of reasons, including minimal risk to patients, ease of use, accessibility, and pervasiveness across cultures/ The physiological demands of singing are comparable with walking at a moderately brisk pace, suggesting that the health benefits of singing may overlap with that of exercise,” said the study. “Unlike traditional physical exercise, the impact of singing on cardiovascular health has not been extensively studied.” The study results should open the doors to further study on health benefits involved with singing.