Introduction: People shed tears during emotional distress, which can relieve emotions and remove harmful biological substances produced by negative emotions—a unique, innate, psychological and physiological health-promoting cathartic mechanism in humans.
Proper weeping is good for the body and mind.
A lady in tears? No—rather, Emperor Wu of Liang’s regimen had much to do with his devotion—and also with his propensity for weeping. Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty began weeping at an early age. It is said that when he was six years old, his mother—the Empress Dowager—passed away. Though he barely understood the world, he wept profusely and movingly; even adults were deeply touched by his tears, earning him widespread acclaim as “revered for his exceptional virtue.” During ritual sacrifices, he would weep so intensely that “tears sprayed forth, turning the color of pine and grass.” Such “weeping ability” was truly extraordinary—far surpassing that of ordinary people—and it may well have contributed to his exceptional longevity among feudal emperors.
People typically produce three types of tears over their lifetime. The first is basal tears, which continuously lubricate the eyes during blinking. The second is reflex tears, chemically similar to those produced when chopping onions, for example. The third type—emotional tears—contains a unique chemical composition.
✵How to cry effectively:
Do not force yourself to cry, nor dwell obsessively in sorrow; instead, weep with restraint and awareness. Limit crying to no more than 15 minutes—this helps eliminate harmful substances and soothe your mood. However, crying for longer than 15 minutes may strain your digestive system. Because gastrointestinal function is highly sensitive to emotional states, prolonged sadness can slow gastric motility, suppress appetite, and, with chronic occurrence, contribute to gastric disorders.
Of course, crying is beneficial—and some people experience “wanting to cry but producing no tears.” Aside from dry eye syndrome, this may result from long-term habitual suppression of emotion, leading to emotional numbness. How to restore your natural weeping instinct? Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit. Place one hand gently over your upper chest (clavicular region) and breathe only up to the level of your hand. Exhale quickly several times—like a baby’s cry—and listen attentively to your sadness. Allow yourself to feel sad; allow yourself to be vulnerable. If, after repeated practice, you notice a dull ache in your temples, this signals accumulated stress—and a need to cry. Rather than forcing tears, focus on relaxing. When your mind genuinely relaxes—and releases the outdated belief that crying signifies weakness—you may find your emotional barriers dissolve, and tears flow freely.
What are the health benefits of crying?
✵1. Emotional regulation: Intense negative emotions can trigger hyperarousal of the nervous system. When such tension remains chronically suppressed without release, it accumulates as energetic pressure, disrupting autonomic nervous system function. Over time, this harms both mental and physical health and increases susceptibility to disease progression. Crying provides a natural outlet for releasing this energy, alleviating psychological tension and emotional burden—thereby helping prevent or mitigate such conditions.
✵2. Toxin elimination: Lysozyme in tears helps protect the nasopharyngeal mucosa from bacterial infection. “Emotional tears” contain catecholamines—neurochemicals released by the brain under emotional stress—which are absent in “reflex tears.” Excess catecholamines are linked to cardiovascular disease and, in severe cases, heart attacks. Thus, shedding emotional tears helps expel potentially harmful biochemical byproducts.
✵3. Prevention and mitigation of depression: Patients with chronic depression often exhibit elevated manganese levels in the brain. Anxiety and chronic stress increase cortisol secretion; higher prolactin levels in women may partly explain their greater tendency to cry compared with men. Emotional tears contain 20–25% more protein types than reflex tears, potassium levels four times higher, and manganese concentrations 30 times greater than in blood serum. They are also rich in adrenocorticosteroids and prolactin—suggesting tears play a vital role in maintaining physiological and psychological homeostasis.
✵4. Enhanced immunity and cancer prevention: American biochemists have found that individuals who rarely or never cry are twice as likely to develop illness as those who cry regularly. Normal tears are salty; diabetic tears may taste sweeter; and sorrowful tears are bitter—containing peptides and hormones. Prolonged absence of tears correlates with increased risk: in severe cases, tumors; in milder cases, recurrent aphthous ulcers, chronic colitis, and other inflammatory conditions.
✵Tips: Before cutting onions, dip the knife in cold water. After halving the onion, soak the halves in cold water briefly before slicing. Alternatively, microwave the onion briefly or soak it in hot water for three minutes prior to cutting. Since the pungent odor originates from volatile sulfur compounds released upon cell disruption, chilling or heating denatures the enzymes responsible—reducing tear-inducing vapors.
Introduction: People shed tears during emotional distress, which can relieve emotions and remove harmful biological substances produced by negative emotions—a unique, innate, psychological and physiological health-promoting cathartic mechanism in humans.
A lady in tears? No—rather, Emperor Wu of Liang’s regimen had much to do with his devotion—and also with his propensity for weeping. Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty began weeping at an early age. It is said that when he was six years old, his mother—the Empress Dowager—passed away. Though he barely understood the world, he wept profusely and movingly; even adults were deeply touched by his tears, earning him widespread acclaim as “revered for his exceptional virtue.” During ritual sacrifices, he would weep so intensely that “tears sprayed forth, turning the color of pine and grass.” Such “weeping ability” was truly extraordinary—far surpassing that of ordinary people—and it may well have contributed to his exceptional longevity among feudal emperors.
✵How to cry effectively:
✵1. Emotional regulation: Intense negative emotions can trigger hyperarousal of the nervous system. When such tension remains chronically suppressed without release, it accumulates as energetic pressure, disrupting autonomic nervous system function. Over time, this harms both mental and physical health and increases susceptibility to disease progression. Crying provides a natural outlet for releasing this energy, alleviating psychological tension and emotional burden—thereby helping prevent or mitigate such conditions.
✵3. Prevention and mitigation of depression: Patients with chronic depression often exhibit elevated manganese levels in the brain. Anxiety and chronic stress increase cortisol secretion; higher prolactin levels in women may partly explain their greater tendency to cry compared with men. Emotional tears contain 20–25% more protein types than reflex tears, potassium levels four times higher, and manganese concentrations 30 times greater than in blood serum. They are also rich in adrenocorticosteroids and prolactin—suggesting tears play a vital role in maintaining physiological and psychological homeostasis.
