cortisol, which builds up during times of stress, is being expelled from the system

From: <goodgutgut_at_yahoo.com>
Date: 21 Dec 2005 06:48:38 -0800

All stressed out? Go on, have a good bawl and let it all out!

If you're down and depressed, the simplest answer is to go out and have a bawl, according to Shukan Taishu (12/26), a vigorously male-oriented magazine that almost blushes as it gives the advice.

"You may not know it, but crying is a powerful expression that plays an
absolutely essential role in living," Kimihiro Yoneyama, a former medical professor at Saint Mariana Medical College and medical author, tells Shukan Taishu. "Crying gets rid of stress."

Yoneyama asks readers to remember what it was like after having a good, hard howl upon being dumped by a girlfriend they particularly liked. Normally, he argues, you'd finish sobbing and feel better. He says that what's actually happening inside the body during this process is that a substance called cortisol, which builds up during times of stress, is being expelled from the system.

"There's scientific data that shows crying rids the body of
stress-causing substances. But, the reality is that guys are taught not to cry and be tough when hit with something shattering," the whimpering physician says. "Really, all they're doing is keeping all the bad stuff inside them."

If not released with a snorting snivel, cortisol continues to build up inside the bloodstream. This can cause memory loss, reduce brain cells and kill nerves, harden the arteries and, reduce hormonal emissions, leading to impotence, the doctor claims.

Yoneyama also argues that holding back tears has much to do with the rapid increase in the number of middle-aged Japanese men suffering from depression in recent years. Hiromi Yasuhara, author of "Shumatsu Gonaki no Susume (Good Weekend Cries Recommended)," agrees.

"There's something called manganese, which is found in foods like
fermented soybeans or almonds. It's popular for its anti-oxidant abilities, but consuming too much manganese can also cause nausea and chemical imbalances within the body that have an adverse effect on the emotions," she tells Shukan Taishu. "Neurologist William Frey found that manganese levels were 30 times higher in tears than the bloodstream. Autopsies on the brains of depression patients have showed that they could have conquered their depression had they only cried more."

Yasuhara argues that crying also improves the immune system.

For guys taught never to flinch no matter what happens,such news is enough to make them, well, cry. But in cramped Japan, weeping away from the sight of women, child and others who may see a snivel as a sign of perceived weakness, blubbering away isn't always that easy. Nonetheless, experts recommend the ubiquitous karaoke "boxes" -- the name given to the tiny rooms where people go to sing -- or booths in manga cafes of Japan's towns and cities as likely sob spots.

"Turn the music up really loud in a karaoke box and you can bawl your
eyes out without having to worry about anybody else. Take a book or a manga that's bound to make you cry, sit down with a beer in your other hand and weep away your worries," the editor of a health magazine tells Shukan Taishu. "Lots of manga cafes now offer guests the opportunity to watch DVDs, as well as simply read comics or magazines. These places are more relaxing than a movie theater and you can bubble and blubber away in peace. If you cry enough to give yourself the hiccups, it will relieve the tension inside your body and be an effective remedy for stiff necks and shoulders." (By Ryann Connell)

December 19, 2005 Received on Wed Dec 21 2005 - 06:48:43 PST