1. Onions provide health-promoting phytochemicals as well as nutrients. They contain quercetin - a flavonoid (a type of antioxidant compound), which helps eliminate free radicals in the body. Common sources of quercetin are tea and apples, but research shows that absorption of quercetin from onions is twice that from tea and more than three times that from apples. So, taking onions is still a winner.

2. Many studies have shown quercetin to have beneficial effects against many diseases and disorders. These include cataracts, cardiovascular disease as well as cancer of the breast, colon, ovaries, gastric, lung and bladder. To find out more you can check out , says National Onion Association.

3. Onions may also have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels. It can help to prevent the biochemical chain of events that leads to asthma and inflammatory reactions.

4. Onions are a soucre of vitamin C, potassium, dietarty fibre and folic acid. They also contain calcium and iron nad have a high protein content, are low in sodium and contain no fat.

5. Why do onions make you tears? When you slice an onion, you break open a number of onion cells and a series of rapid chemical reactions take place. They reactions release sulphur, which irritates our eyes. Some cooks say that chilling an onion for 30 minutes before peeling it will help to prevent this from happening. Why not give a try today?