Crying is often viewed as a sign of weakness, so a lot of people - particularly men - try to hold in their tears as much as possible. However, experts are now saying that people who cry often actually enjoy a lot of health benefits.
A study from the University of South Florida revealed that crying allows a positive release, and after the tears come out, the body is able to slow down its breathing and the heart rate steadies at a more controlled pace.
"The overwhelming majority of our participants reported mood improvement after crying,'' the researchers of the study shared with the Daily Mail, since 88 percent of everyone who was studied answered they felt better after they cried.
Another benefit of crying is that toxic hormones are flushed out of the body. Human tears actually contain the stress hormone adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and people with higher levels of ACTH in their body are more at risk of getting diseases such as Addison's disease, which causes fatigue, low blood sugar, and depression.
But when the hormone ACTH is constantly flushed out of the body, people tend to feel calmer. Crying also loosens people from stress, and it gives people the chance to release built-up tension in the body.
"Emotional tears, shed in moments of intense feeling, carry stress hormones and are a way of getting rid of them. Even if crying embarrasses you, it signals that you've reached a level of stress that's detrimental to your health," said experimental psychologist Alex Goetz, who founded leading health risk management company General Health Inc.
Lastly, crying helps people heighten their emotional awareness. Researches said that a good cry makes people more self-aware, and it can help them better figure out feelings of happiness, relief and gratitude.
Meanwhile, psychiatrist Judith Orloff, MD, author of "Emotional Freedom," told the Huffington Post that women cry an average of 5.3 times a month, while men only cry an average of 1.3 times per month. Testosterone is largely to blame for this discrepancy, but Orloff is urging men to get in touch with their emotions and let themselves cry more often for their wellbeing.
"Try to let go of outmoded, untrue, conceptions about crying. It is good to cry, it is healthy to cry, and that's true for all sexes," urged Orloff.
