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markobri
Contributor III

Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

Another tearjerker from Bytesize Science.  Watch this short video to learn more:

8 Replies
ChrisbbSchmidt
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

I like the tip about refrigerating the onion to lesson the crying effect. Very useful to know.

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BryanBalazs
Contributor II

Re: Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

Another "trick" is to use a sharp knife, which leads to less damaging of the cell walls overall and thus less of the release of the offending compounds.

jasbeetle
New Contributor II

Re: Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

Or wear chemistry goggles!

rogertan
New Contributor

Re: Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

a certain enzyme and a component from within the cell are released upon cutting, and this produces a volatile compound which turns into sulfuric acid upon in contact with the moisture in your eyes. So, the more you tear, the more you get the hit.  Using sharp knife to cut onion minimizes the rupturing of the cells.. wetting the knife allows the water in your knife to take the hit, and cutting onion cold slows down the enzymatic reactions.   If you are going to cook the onion anyway, another trick is to microwave it until it starts to steam, in deactiving/ destroying/ denaturing, the enzyme.

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ccclaiborne
New Contributor

Re: Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

Another method, not quite so elegant, is to hold a piece of bread in your mouth (without eating it), let it stick out as much as you can.  This probably works on the same principle as wearing googles.

yatsergioship
New Contributor III

Re: Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

Onions  is  good  for  Health.  But  to  drink  Water  with  Changed  Structures  is  good  idea  for  Health .

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sanket23091977
New Contributor

Re: Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

dear sir,

isn't so that when we want to weep we take the help from onions and our blocked tear glands get activated by the produced chemical by onion which is converted in to gas and induce tears.

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bkillam
New Contributor

Re: Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

I had heard that cutting onions next to an open flame also works.  Or cutting under running water.

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