Does Chopping an Onion Make You Cry?!?: Healthy Meals, Diets, & Nutrition Information

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

Does Chopping an Onion Make You Cry?!? :cry:

If chopping an onion makes you cry, the reason is "unstable chemicals".

Onions produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide. It stimulates the eyes' lachrymal glands (a gland that produces tears found in the upper, outer part of each eye socket) so they release tears.

Scientists used to blame the enzyme allinase for the instability of substances in a cut onion. Studies from Japan, however, proved that lachrymatory-factor synthase, (a previously undiscovered enzyme) is the culprit.
Here's what happens:

1. Lachrymatory-factor synthase is released into the air when we cut an onion.
2. The synthase enzyme converts the sulfoxides (amino acids) of the onion into sulfenic acid.
3. The unstable sulfenic acid rearranges itself into syn-ropanethial-S-oxide.
4. Syn-propanethial-S-oxide gets into the air and comes in contact with our eyes. The lachrymal glands become irritated and produces the tears!

joebert · **Site Rank:** Moderator

We need genetically modified onions that don't produce this stuff. If they can make fish glow in a black light then someone should be able to make onions that don't make you cry. :cap-smile:

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

I'm a sucker when it comes to onions! They make my eyes water, but that's not even the bad part... they also make my eyes burn which is no fun at all. When I try and throw some water on my eyes to wash them out, I think it only soaks the chemicals from the onions more into my eyes because they never feel better afterwards. It can take anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours before my eyes start to feel better. It also depends on how potent the onion is. Some onions drive my eyes more crazy than others. Nonetheless I still enjoy eating onions so I haven't stopped buying them and chopping them up, yet.

Wow, genetically modified GloFish? I've never heard that before!

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

tammy wrote:

It can take anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours before my eyes start to feel better.

Wow... that sounds awful tammy!! Chopping onions makes my eyes water too, but as soon as I get away from them, my eyes go back to normal.

So I looked on the internet for you how not to cry while chopping onions and found this...

Wear swimming goggles while cutting your onions!!
Make your spouse cut the onions for you!!

OR
Burn a candle while slicing the onion. The candle is supposed to draw the gas away from your face and toward the flame.
Hold a piece of bread between your teeth. The bread is supposed to absorb the gasses before they reach your eyes.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Ziggy wrote:

So I looked on the internet for you how not to cry while chopping onions and found this...

Wear swimming goggles while cutting your onions!!
Make your spouse cut the onions for you!!

OR
Burn a candle while slicing the onion. The candle is supposed to draw the gas away from your face and toward the flame.
Hold a piece of bread between your teeth. The bread is supposed to absorb the gasses before they reach your eyes.

Ha, I don't think I'll be wearing swimming goggles anytime soon while chopping onions, but that makes sense why it would work! I might try the burning a candle thing while chopping onions to see if that works. If it doesn't the next one I'll try is the bread between my teeth. Good tips!

dez78 · **Site Rank:** Healthy Acquaintance

If you chew gum while you cut an onion you won't cry. It really works!

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

Really??? Thanks for the advice, that is an easy one to try. (I still haven't tried the burning a candle thing yet).

dez78 · **Site Rank:** Healthy Acquaintance

You can also put the onion in the freezer for a few minutes, that works too. I'm glad I could help!

tom · **Site Rank:** Healthy Acquaintance

When we chop the onion,Onion releases acid vapour which causes the eye to react by tearing up to wash the acid away.
You can solve the problem by keeping the onions cold or by quickly rinsing them before you start chopping.

Matthew · **Site Rank:** Healthy Acquaintance

Ziggy wrote:

Does Chopping an Onion Make You Cry?!? :cry:

If chopping an onion makes you cry, the reason is "unstable chemicals".

Onions produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide. It stimulates the eyes' lachrymal glands (a gland that produces tears found in the upper, outer part of each eye socket) so they release tears.

Scientists used to blame the enzyme allinase for the instability of substances in a cut onion. Studies from Japan, however, proved that lachrymatory-factor synthase, (a previously undiscovered enzyme) is the culprit.
Here's what happens:

1. Lachrymatory-factor synthase is released into the air when we cut an onion.
2. The synthase enzyme converts the sulfoxides (amino acids) of the onion into sulfenic acid.
3. The unstable sulfenic acid rearranges itself into syn-ropanethial-S-oxide.
4. Syn-propanethial-S-oxide gets into the air and comes in contact with our eyes. The lachrymal glands become irritated and produces the tears!

hi
Yes the onions let you cry but you can get rid of this.Place a potato on the edge of the knife or You can also put the onion in the freezer for ten minutes before you cut it. Cold temperatures slow down the reaction between the enzyme and the sulfur compounds so fewer of the burning molecules will reach your eyes.
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