According to a new analysis of 400 published scientific papers, the old adage that “music is medicine” may literally be true. Canadian psychologists from McGill University have shown that the neurochemical benefits of music can boost the body’s immune system, reduce anxiety, and help regulate mood. The time has come, say the researchers, for doctors and therapists to start taking music much more seriously.

Chanda and Levitin have shown that there are plenty of studies linking music to specific neurochemical processes. In their analysis, which surveyed over 400 papers, they looked for patterns in the scientific evidence supporting the claim that music can affect brain chemistry in a positive way. They succeeded in isolating four areas where music can help:

Reward, motivation, and pleasure (to help with eating disorders, as an example)

Stress and arousal (to help reduce anxiety)

Immunity (to strengthen the body’s immune system and slow-down age related decline)

Social affiliation (to assist in trust building and social bonding)