London – Eating red onions may help to fight cancer, new research suggests.

The tasty vegetable, commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine, is full of powerful compounds that help to kill tumors.

One type known as anthocyanins, which are responsible for its dark coloring, are believed in inhibit the spread of the disease, as reported by British newspaper “the Daily Mail”.

While a flavonoid called quercetin has the same effects by shrinking the size of cancerous masses, according to experts.

Study author Abdulmonem Murayyan, of the University of Guelph, said: ‘We found onions are excellent at killing cancer cells.

‘Onions activate pathways that encourage cancer cells to undergo cell death.

‘They promote an unfavorable environment for cancer cells and they disrupt communication between cancer cells, which inhibits growth.

‘It makes sense that the red onions, which are darkest in colour, would have the most cancer-fighting power.’