Is Crying a Good Thing for Health?

Do you cry in movies, when listening to sad songs, to mourn the end of a relationship or because of sheer frustration? Studies have revealed that those who weep a little when they are feeling upset can reap positive effects from the same. Crying can heal you physiologically and psychologically, but not when you cry too much and too often.

Aids vision

Tears lubricate our eyeballs and eyelids, enabling us to see well. Moreover, weeping also prevent dehydration of our various mucous membranes.

Kills Harmful Bacteria

Tears work like antibacterial and antiviral agent working for us that fights off all the germs that we pick up during our everyday activities. Tears have lysozyme that kills bacteria in just five to ten minutes and prevents complications.

Improves Mood

Laughter is good for our hearts and stress levels. So is weeping. Those who weep a little when upset tend to improve their mood after a bout of cry. A study at the University of Minnesota found that crying improved the mood of almost 90 percent of people besides helping them with healing, boosting immunity and reducing levels of anger. Researchers suggest that the chemicals that build-up during emotional stress get removed in our tears when we cry.

Reduces Manganese

The simple act of crying reduces the body's manganese levels, a mineral that affects mood and is found in up to 30 times greater concentration in tears than in blood serum. The nutrient helps with lowering bad cholesterol levels and controls high blood pressure.

Can you always Cry a Good Cry?

You may have often heard people say cry as a good cry and feel better afterwards. It isn’t always the case. A study of nearly 200 Dutch women suggested that most felt better after crying but not everyone.  It was found that for the individuals who scored higher on (one of the measures) depression or anxiety were likely to feel worse after crying.

Researchers suggest that it could be that those who are depressed or anxious don't derive the same benefits from crying as others do.

As John Bradshaw writes in his bestseller Home Coming, “All these feelings need to be felt. We need to stomp and storm; to sob and cry; to perspire and tremble.” Crying can be good for you.

Read more articles on Mental health.