Ah, the beloved onion. What’s not to love? Besides adding good flavor to food, it makes people laugh. It makes people cry. It makes people able to understand each other. And it makes people healthy. All interesting things, but for our salubrious purposes, let’s focus on the last one.

It comes as no surprise that a plant based diet is a healthy diet. But specifically, certain herbs and plants like the onion play a particularly vital role in keeping your body healthy. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, onions are considered an “anticlotting agent” because they contain substances that “suppress platelet aggregation.” Translation anyone? Chemical compounds in onions keep your blood flowing evenly throughout your body. Blood clots are trouble. Onions are the blod clot police.

Additionally, the onion, among other commonly used herbs like rosemary, thyme, and chamomile- contain flavonoids. Flavonoids are plant chemicals that protect against cancer and heart disease. In the onion’s case, the flavonoids also extend the activity of vitamin C, keep your bad cholesterol at bay, and act as an anti-inflamitory and an anti-tumor agent in your body (AJCN 1999).

Peel the onion; to health and to humor.