If you get choked up over cute kitten videos or you cry over cheesy hallmark commercials, your tears aren’t a sign of emotional fragility, but rather an indicator of good health. As it turns out, tears can have a cleansing effect on the eyes and they’re loaded with nutrients that can keep them clear and focused. Sodium, potassium and other electrolytes in the watery secretions that give tears their characteristic salty taste have healing properties for ocular tissue. Tears also stimulate the release of natural pain relieving feel-good chemicals, called enkephalins. Enkephalins not only reduce pain and produce a sense of well-being, but could also improve brain function and lower the oxidative stress that’s associated with disease and shortened longevity. Tears also activate the secretion of a protein hormone called prolactin that has protective effects on nerves. Anti-stress properties promote social bonding, fertility and even help support and maintain relationships, including romantic ones. The Japanese are so serious about sobbing that they encourage ruie katsu or “tears seeking” in groups called crying clubs, where adults gather together to watch tearjerker movies and ceremoniously cry together. So, the next time you’re at a wedding or baptism or funeral, don’t hesitate to have a good cry. It’s healthy, can make you more attractive, and may even add years to your life.
