Turns out, crying helps release the body of toxins that raise cortisol (the stress hormone), which is often why we feel so much better afterwards Actually, holding in your

tears can even cause health risks. So, next time you're super stressed out, do yourself (and your body) a favor and just let it all out, literally.

When we cry, the body gets a surge of endorphins to help soothe and nourish the iris: Cue the basal tears. These tears actually help protect the eyes and clear up vision through lubricating

the eyeballs and eyelids — ridding them of dust.

As we've said, it's not just a coincidence that we feel better after crying. It provides us with an emotional release and thus rids our body of stress,

frustration and pent up feelings.

I'm sure we've all noticed, in extreme cry fests, how snot oozes from our nose just as fast as tears stream from our eyes. This is due to the

target="_blank">lacrimal system, which produces and drains the tears at the same time.

Just like words, tears can also be used to communicate. Heck, sometimes they're even more effective than words. It's much harder to fake tears than it's to tell a fib. In fact,

as infants, tears were our only way to communicate.

Turns out, there are way more benefits to crying than we thought. A good cry can also kill 90 to 95 percent of all bacteria in just five

to 10 minutes.

And then of course there's those that cry for attention or to manipulate others as a way to get pity. So, next time you're trying to get out of

a ticket, lay on the waterworks as it's been proven to help in social settings to ease tension or conflict.