Tårar

Tears of Joy

Noel Peterson, N.D.

Which is better for you, a good laugh or a good cry? According to Dr. William Frey of thDry Eye and Tear Research Center in Minneapolis, tears may improve health by running off with chemicals that produce stress. Frey collected data on hundreds of men and women, and induced irritant tearing through exposure to fresh cut onions. He collected emotional tears by having subjects watch three-hanky movies, "tear-jerkers" such as Brian's Song, The Champ, and others.

For one thing, tears contain 30 times the concentration of manganese found in blood. Emotional tears contain 24% higher protein concentration than irritant tears. He speculates that this higher protein level is composed of neuropeptides, chemicals which are secreted by the brain and carry the molecular 'code' for emotions through the body. He postulates that "the reason people feel better after crying is that the tears may be unloading the chemicals that build up during emotional stress"

He also found that both emotional tears and irritant tears contain three chemicals known to be released by the body during emotional stress: an endorphin thought to modulate pain sensation; ACTH, a hormone that is considered the body's most reliable indicator of stress; and Prolactin, another hormone which regulates milk production in humans.

Prolactin also promotes tear production, Frey notes, which may help to explain the important sex difference in emotional crying, namely that women cry far more frequently than men do (in his studies, 4 times more often). Adult women have serum prolactin levels nearly 60 percent higher than mens', whereas before puberty, boys and girls not only have similar prolactin levels, but similar crying frequencies. Prolactin levels also rise and fall in cycles, peaking before the onset of menses.

Frey reports that in his surveys 85% of women and 73% of men reported feeling better after crying. Other studies have found that among men and women, heathy people are more likely to cry and have a positive attitude toward tears than those with ulcers or colitis, two conditions thought to be stress related.

Further, notes Frey, children who suffer an inherited disease called familial dysautonomia have two things in common: they can't produce tears, and they have an extremely low tolerance for emotional stress. If crying helps the body rid itself of stress hormones, what about laughter? Human beings are the only creatures who respond to stimuli with laughter. Your dog may smile, and even howl and "cry" at the moon, but you'll never see him cry tears or hear him laugh. Tears and laughter are uniquely human.

We now know that laughter helps to lower the potent stress hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol cause bone loss and suppress immunity. Laughter also increases the mood elevating and immune stimulating beta endorphins, which combat fatigue and depression. Laughter can in the long term reduce blood pressure and slow heart rate as well, leaving you feeling calm and peaceful.

Ever notice how enchanting a child's laugh can be? Children laugh on the average 400 times per day. By the time they reach adulthood, the average number of laughs has plunged to 15.

There is hope for all of us stodgy adults: laughter is infectious. The more you laugh, the easier it becomes. So practice laughing out loud a little every day, and you'll be healthier for it. Drop a tear and stress may be shed as well. Go ahead and laugh. Your body will thank you for it.