The Forgotten Habit That Lowers Dementia, Depression & Aging | Daisy Fancourt

Fill out our audience survey via https://drchatterjee.com/survey This episode is brought to you by: AG1: Get FREE AG1 Flavour Sampler, AGZ Sampler, Vitamin D3+K2 and Welcome Kit with your first AG1 subscription (worth $87, US only) https://bit.ly/43FwxQl Most of us know that nutrition, movement and sleep are key pillars of health. But what if I told you that creativity belongs in the same conversation – and the science to prove it has been mounting up for decades? Professor Daisy Fancourt, one of the world’s leading health researchers, has uncovered a wealth of evidence linking engagement with the arts to improved mental and physical health. It’s all collected in her wonderful book, Art Cure, and I only wish it had existed as required reading when I was a medical student. Daisy agrees it’s been a ‘bizarrely well-kept secret’. We think of creative pursuits – music, theatre, dancing, arts and crafts – as ‘nice to haves’ but not necessary parts of life. But she believes a public awareness shift is on the horizon. Just as we’ve come to understand that exercise is an essential component of health, so too will we realise that ‘art as medicine’ is a scientific fact – one to be prescribed not ignored. It’s quite the promise – and a really exciting one to consider. Because for most of us, the arts represent enjoyment. So this health advice could be the easiest and most pleasurable you’ve ever followed! During this conversation Daisy and I discuss what engaging with the arts really means, and why it differs from non-creative, relaxing activities. We talk about the rise in screen-based ‘junk’ art, and why the post-pandemic continuum of virtual experiences can’t match real-world ones. And we explore how the arts tick lots of wellbeing boxes, from arousing nostalgia to firing the imagination, building confidence and communities to getting us moving. Most of us instinctively get it: the creative side of life is good for us. The science behind it though, is extraordinary. From lowering blood pressure to slowing biological ageing, reducing dementia risk to lowering inflammation, these aren’t small effects. Engaging with the arts has even been shown to cut older adults' risk of dying by 31 percent. Yet none of this has made it into mainstream health conversations – until now. There is so much packed into this joyous episode, from the surprising power of music to the unique combination of benefits that come from dancing. Daisy also shares some original ways to incorporate the arts into your life more – you’ll never think of your five a day, or your commute, in the same way again. We’re born creative and embrace it in childhood, but I think we stop prioritising it as adults. This conversation will kickstart it again. #feelbetterlivemore Find out more about Professor Fancourt: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/44526-daisy-fancourt Professor Fancourt’s book: Art Cure:The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health UK https://amzn.to/4tnPfII US https://amzn.to/4n5L2YB #feelbetterlivemore #feelbetterlivemorepodcast ------- Order MAKE CHANGE THAT LASTS. US & Canada version https://amzn.to/3RyO3SL, UK version https://amzn.to/3Kt5rUK ----- Follow Dr Chatterjee at: Website: https://drchatterjee.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drchatterjee Twitter: https://twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Newsletter: https://drchatterjee.com/subscription DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Dr. Rangan ChatterjeehostDaisy Fancourtguest

May 6, 20261h 23mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: May 6, 2026
Duration: 1h 23m
Channel: Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Fill out our audience survey via https://drchatterjee.com/survey This episode is brought to you by: AG1: Get FREE AG1 Flavour Sampler, AGZ Sampler, Vitamin D3+K2 and Welcome Kit with your first AG1 subscription (worth $87, US only) https://bit.ly/43FwxQl Most of us know that nutrition, movement and sleep are key pillars of health. But what if I told you that creativity belongs in the same conversation – and the science to prove it has been mounting up for decades? Professor Daisy Fancourt, one of the world’s leading health researchers, has uncovered a wealth of evidence linking engagement with the arts to improved mental and physical health. It’s all collected in her wonderful book, Art Cure, and I only wish it had existed as required reading when I was a medical student. Daisy agrees it’s been a ‘bizarrely well-kept secret’. We think of creative pursuits – music, theatre, dancing, arts and crafts – as ‘nice to haves’ but not necessary parts of life. But she believes a public awareness shift is on the horizon. Just as we’ve come to understand that exercise is an essential component of health, so too will we realise that ‘art as medicine’ is a scientific fact – one to be prescribed not ignored. It’s quite the promise – and a really exciting one to consider. Because for most of us, the arts represent enjoyment. So this health advice could be the easiest and most pleasurable you’ve ever followed! During this conversation Daisy and I discuss what engaging with the arts really means, and why it differs from non-creative, relaxing activities. We talk about the rise in screen-based ‘junk’ art, and why the post-pandemic continuum of virtual experiences can’t match real-world ones. And we explore how the arts tick lots of wellbeing boxes, from arousing nostalgia to firing the imagination, building confidence and communities to getting us moving. Most of us instinctively get it: the creative side of life is good for us. The science behind it though, is extraordinary. From lowering blood pressure to slowing biological ageing, reducing dementia risk to lowering inflammation, these aren’t small effects. Engaging with the arts has even been shown to cut older adults' risk of dying by 31 percent. Yet none of this has made it into mainstream health conversations – until now. There is so much packed into this joyous episode, from the surprising power of music to the unique combination of benefits that come from dancing. Daisy also shares some original ways to incorporate the arts into your life more – you’ll never think of your five a day, or your commute, in the same way again. We’re born creative and embrace it in childhood, but I think we stop prioritising it as adults. This conversation will kickstart it again. #feelbetterlivemore Find out more about Professor Fancourt: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/44526-daisy-fancourt Professor Fancourt’s book: Art Cure:The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health UK https://amzn.to/4tnPfII US https://amzn.to/4n5L2YB #feelbetterlivemore #feelbetterlivemorepodcast ------- Order MAKE CHANGE THAT LASTS. US & Canada version https://amzn.to/3RyO3SL, UK version https://amzn.to/3Kt5rUK ----- Follow Dr Chatterjee at: Website: https://drchatterjee.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drchatterjee Twitter: https://twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Newsletter: https://drchatterjee.com/subscription DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
host
Medical doctor and host of the Dr Rangan Chatterjee podcast focused on lifestyle medicine and health.
Daisy Fancourt
guest
Epidemiologist and researcher specializing in arts, health, and public health (including NHS-related work).

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Dr Rangan Chatterjee, featuring Dr. Rangan Chatterjee and Daisy Fancourt, The Forgotten Habit That Lowers Dementia, Depression & Aging | Daisy Fancourt explores arts engagement, the forgotten health habit, measurably improves mind and body Large-scale studies and trials suggest arts engagement can meaningfully improve health outcomes, with effect sizes sometimes comparable to established pillars like exercise and sleep.

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