Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

Ahoy! Let’s Think! Today we answer the question Why Do Onions Make You Cry?
Have you ever noticed that when people are cutting onions their eyes begin to water or they start to cry? You may have noticed that this doesn’t usually happen when cutting any other type of fruit or vegetable. So what makes the onion unique that it can cause this?
Onions are very good at absorbing sulfur which they use in a number of amino acids. Similar to animals which use camouflage, bright colors or even poison to protect themselves, onions use amino acids as a form of protection. When you cut an onion, it releases enzymes called allinase which mixes with the sulfur rich amino acids. When combined it forms a sulfenic acid which is very volatile and moves through the air to cause irritation to our eyes. This in turn causes a reflex in our eyes to water in order to protect it from damage.
So do all onions cause us to cry? The biggest onion culprits are yellow, red and white onions which produce the harshest chemicals. Green onions have the least sulfur and less pungent so they typically have the least if any effect.
If you love onions but don’t like the tears, there are some suggestions to help lessen the burn such as using the freshest onions since the longer you store them, the more it affects their potency. Other tips include using a very sharp knife to lessen the damage done to the onion or cutting away or further from your eyes. Some people will even wear protection around their eyes such as goggles or even helmets to prevent the vapors from reaching their eyes. Have you seen or heard of any other methods to stop from tearing up while cutting onions?
So that answers the question, Why Do Onions Make You Cry? That took some thinking!
#WhyDoOnionsMakeYouCry #FoodFacts #Onions
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