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You've broken up with your longtime love no?
Okay, maybe you've just finish watching your favorite romantic flick no, again?

So, what's the deal with the tears?

Simply, the cause is Allium cepa which is better known as the onion. This tear jerker comes in an assortment of colors - yellow, white or red and when the chef in you cuts into it a chain reaction occurs. Cutting into an onion means you're breaking up cells and releasing their contents which react together forming sulfuric acid. The vapors once released irritate your eyes and cause the brain to signal the tear ducts to make more tears as a protective measure.

If you're tired of tearing up when cutting onions there are things you can try. You won't be bored to tears with these helpful tips:

1. Barry Swanson, PhD says take the sting out of cutting onions by lighting a candle; flames carry the irritating fumes away.

2. Chill out! Put onions in the fridge before cutting and remove the root end only after you've chopped or sliced the rest.

3. Style it out with Active Forever's onion goggles and say goodbye to those tears.

4. Stop gases by cutting onions under water

5. Looking for a miracle onion in 10 years the new tearless onion from New Zealand may be available in grocery stores.

Still not convinced that onions are worth all the effort? Check out all the great health benefits onions have to offer. Onions do not only provide your food with a flavorful edge but are packed with things that are good for your health. Vitamin C, chromium which helps cells respond to insulin and flavonoids notably, quercitin which has been shown to stop tumor growth are just a few of the benefits onions provide. Certain studies are even evaluating the effect onions have on blood. The University of Wisconsin is investigating the potency of onions as a blood thinner. It seems that onions have endless health contributions.

Next time you take out an onion try some of these tips. You'll be able to peel back the onion with clear eyes and think of all the great health benefits this vegetable will contribute to your well-being.

Learn more about this author, JL Francis.
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