WEIRD STUFF

Scientists create tear-free onions

Japanese researchers have developed a special variety of onion that doesn't make your eyes water.

The tear-free vegetable, called the Smile Ball, is grown on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and is quickly gaining popularity. Around 180 tonnes of the onions are expected to be sold this year.

Unlike regular onions, the Smile Ball has been bred to remove the chemical reaction responsible for watery eyes - while still keeping the same taste and nutritional value.

Noriya Masamura, from House Foods Group, which has spent two decades researching non-pungent onions, believes the vegetable could even become a star ingredient in its own right.

He said: "Roughly chop them into pieces about five to seven millimetres thick, toss with a little salt, dried herbs and olive oil, and you'll taste their sweetness and they'll pair perfectly with white wine."

Normally, cutting onions releases enzymes that create a gas which reacts with moisture in the eyes to form a mild sulphuric acid. The irritation triggers tears as the body tries to flush the chemical away.

For years, cooks have tried everything from freezing onions to chopping them underwater or even holding bread in their mouths in an attempt to stop the tears.

But scientists discovered the real culprit in 2002.

A Japanese research team led by Dr Shinsuke Imai identified the enzyme responsible for the reaction - called lachrymatory-factor synthase.

By breeding onions that suppress the enzyme, researchers created a vegetable that behaves like a normal onion but doesn't produce the tear-inducing gas.

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Researchers pinpoint sleep sweet spot

Scientists say they've pinpointed the exact amount of sleep you should be getting each night.

According to a study published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care, the ideal sleep time to reduce the risk of insulin resistance is seven hours and 18 minutes per night.

Getting more or less than that could increase the chances of developing pre-diabetes - a major risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes.

In Britain alone, Diabetes UK estimates 4.6 million people have diabetes, with about 90 per cent diagnosed with Type 2, which occurs when the body cannot properly use insulin to regulate blood sugar.

Researchers analysed data from 10,817 adults ages 20 to 80 using health records from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2009 and 2023.

They assessed participants' insulin resistance using something called the estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR), calculated from waist circumference, blood pressure and fasting blood glucose levels.

The results suggested seven hours and 18 minutes was the metabolic sweet spot.

Experts say poor sleep can disrupt appetite and hormones, making matters worse.

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Study says lefties are more competitive

Left-handed people may have a natural edge over their competition.

Scientists say lefties are more competitive than right-handed people and show higher levels of what experts call a "hypercompetitive orientation" - a powerful drive to beat others.

The trait could help explain why left-handedness has survived through evolution, despite only appearing in about 10 per cent of the population.

Researchers analysed data from 533 volunteers, including 483 strongly right-handed participants and 50 strongly left-handed ones, and compared their attitudes towards competition using questionnaires.

The results showed a clear difference.

While right-handed people were more likely to avoid competitive situations, left-handers consistently scored higher for competitiveness.

The findings could help explain why so many famous high-achievers are left-handed - including Sir Paul McCartney, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.

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