New Israeli study shows: This is the effect of women’s tears on aggressive men

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Noam Sobel, professor of neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Tel Aviv (Israel), knows what emotional tears consist of: substances that, among other things, measurably reduce aggression in men.

But from the very beginning: It has long been known that tears are not just tears. If you cut an onion or blow icy wind into your eyes, our eyes will also water; but this fluid is different from when we shed emotional tears, especially due to sadness. The latter also sometimes contains high concentrations of complex protein compounds such as hormones, neuropeptides and neurotransmitters. These protein compounds have functions that go beyond just protecting the eyes. Emotional crying eliminates various waste materials from our nervous system and thus has a measurable calming effect on the person crying; but this new finding also applies to the people around him.

Testosterone levels in the blood decrease

Sobel and his team collected tears from women who watched heartbreaking movies. 31 men then smelled these tears or saline solution and dabbed the corresponding liquid on their upper lips using cotton balls. Sobel then had the men play a deliberately unfairly designed computer game specifically developed by psychologists to provoke aggressive behavior.

The result: Aggressive behavior was reduced by almost 44 percent in men with tears under their noses compared to those with a saline solution “nose”; Testosterone levels in the blood temporarily dropped by up to 40 percent. Brain scanners also showed that brain networks responsible for processing odors and aggression in “drunk” men showed greater connectivity activity than in comparison groups. At the same time, activity in areas of the brain responsible for aggression was lower.

Significant survival advantage could lead to drug

Sobel suspects his results hold across genders. The reason he used only women as tear donors was because only women responded to his call. He now hopes to be able to pinpoint the active ingredient in the tears. This would make it possible to produce the substance artificially so that it could be used as a medicine for people with aggression problems.

Source : Blick