8 Great Benefits of Onions
Never mind the tears they bring on—onions are an ace ally in your fight against disease. A prized member of the lily family, they lavish you with health benefits while adding oodles of taste to your food.
A quick glimpse at their incredible health benefits:
- The phytochemicals in onions improve the working of Vitamin C in the body, thus gifting you with improved immunity.
- Onions contain chromium, which assists in regulating blood sugar.
- For centuries, onions have been used to reduce inflammation and heal infections.
- Do you enjoy sliced onions with your food? If yes, rejoice! Raw onion encourages the production of good cholesterol (HDL), thus keeping your heart healthy.
- A powerful compound called quercetin in onions is known to play a significant role in preventing cancer.
- Got bitten by a honeybee? Apply onion juice on the area for immediate relief from the pain and burning sensation.
- Onions scavenge free radicals, thereby reducing your risk of developing gastric ulcers.
- Those bright green tops of green onions are rich in Vitamin A, so do use them often.
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Health Benefits of Onions
Some of the health benefits of onions include their role in substantially relieving a number of diseases including the common cold, asthma, bacterial infections, respiratory problems, angina, and cough. Onions are also known to repel bloodthirsty insects. In other words, you may say that onions are a true gift from nature, even if they do make you cry.
Onions have been known to possess curative value since ancient times. Even the World Health Organization confirms that onions are beneficial for people with a reduced appetite and those suffering from atherosclerosis. Health experts acknowledge the fact that onions provide a great respite for patients with chronic asthma, allergic bronchitis, common cold-related cough and cold syndromes. Onions, which have the scientific classification of Allium cepa, also contain a number of antioxidant compounds that are very effective in neutralizing the free radicals present in the human body. Onions have been used for millennia by human beings for medicinal purposes. Onions have been one of the staple plants in the diet of humans for more than 7,000 years, and during much of that time, onions were actually cultivated. There are still wild species in certain areas of Asia, but for the most part, onions are a globally grown and cultivated plant. Throughout history, onions were even worshiped by certain cultures, like the Egyptians, who buried them with their pharaoh. This fascination with onions could have stemmed from its versatility and availability, or from the medicinal and beneficial properties they have already discovered from this powerful little bulb plant.
Some of the most valuable and well known health benefits of onions are as follows:
- Good Oral Health
- Immune System Strength
- Treatment for Heart Ailments
- Manage Diabetes
- Used as Insect Repellent
- Prevention of Cancer
- Relieving Earache
- Glowing Skin
- Treatment for Cough
- Boosts Sexual Drive
- Treatment of Anemia
- Relieves Stomach Aches
- Treating Urinary Disorders
- Onions Consist of Sulfur Rich Compounds
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What's New and Beneficial About Onions
Onions, like garlic, are members of the Allium family, and both are rich in sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for their pungent odors and for many of their health-promoting effects.
A wide variety of allyl sulfides are found in onion, including the four major diallyl sulfides: DMS (diallyl monosulfide), DDS (diallyl disulfide), DTS (diallyl trisulfide), and DTTS (diallyl tetrasulfide). Also present are a wide variety of sulfoxides, including (+) S-methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide (MCSO), (+)-S-(1-propenyl)-L-cysteine sulfoxide (PRENCSO), S-methyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide, S-propyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide, and S-propenyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide. Onions are an outstanding source of polyphenols, including the flavonoid polyphenols.
Within this flavonoid category, onions are a standout source of quercetin.
- Cardiovascular Benefits
- Support for Bone and Connective Tissue
- Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
- Cancer Protection
- Other Health Benefits
What's New and Beneficial About Onions
If you’ve been eating an apple a day to keep the doctor away, you would be wise to add an onion a day to that regimen. This humble vegetable is a member of the Allium genus, making it closely related to other superfoods like garlic, leeks, scallions, and chives.
This means onions are rich in sulfur-containing compounds that give them both their characteristic odor and much of their health-boosting potential. As one of the oldest cultivated plants, onions do not disappoint in terms of nutrition. They’re a very good source of vitamins C and B6, iron, folate, and potassium. But it’s their phytochemicals – including the flavonoid quercetin and allyl disulphide – that are most exciting to researchers.
To date, onions have shown a wealth of beneficial properties; they’re anti-allergic, anti-histaminic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant,1 all rolled into one. And if you take even a quick glance at the available research, you’ll quickly understand why onions deserve to make a very frequent appearance at your dinner table.
- Onions Are Polyphenol Superstars
- Eating Onions May Lower Your Risk of Cancer
- Heart Health: Are Onions Responsible for the French Paradox?
- Onions Are Beneficial for Your Bones, Digestive Tract, Diabetes Prevention, and More
- Onions Were a Prehistoric Staple Food
5 Surprising Ways Onions Can Cleanse Your Body To Eliminate Disease
Eating an onion a day can keep the doctor away by cleansing and detoxifying the body to prevent and treat ailments — from diabetes to heart disease — boosting your health. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
Onions are best known for two things: bad breath and tears. The popular vegetable found in most types of cuisine gives dishes their flavorful taste, transforming any meal to an aromatic experience. Raw onions not only provide an excellent taste for our palates, but provide therapeutic and antibacterial properties that cleanse and detox our bodies to eliminate disease.
Experts like Dr. Jonathan Stegall, an integrative medicine practitioner in Johns Creek, Ga., emphasize the beneficial properties of onions for our health. "Onions contain a high amount of sulfur compounds, which not only give onions their recognizable smell, but are also powerful detoxifying agents," he told Medical Daily in an email.
With more than 100 sulfur-containing compounds, which are what cause the eyes to tear, onions can help prevent and treat ailments, from diabetes to heart disease, with daily consumption.
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Tooth Decay
Onions: Health Benefits, Nutritional Information
Consuming onions could lower the risk of several types of cancer, improve mood and maintain the health of skin and hair
Consuming fruits and vegetables of all kinds has long been associated with a reduced risk of many lifestyle-related health conditions.
Many studies have suggested that increasing consumption of plant foods like mangoes decreases the risk of obesity and overall mortality, diabetes, heart disease and promotes a healthy complexion and hair, increased energy, overall lower weight.
The possible health benefits of consuming onions include lowering the risk of several types of cancer, improving mood and maintaining the health of skin and hair.
- Cancer
- Colon cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Esophageal and stomach cancer
- Sleep and mood
- Skin and hair
The health benefits of ... onions
The humble onion is found in every kitchen, but its curative powers make it an important medicinal plant too. Like garlic, it is a member of the lily family. There can be no doubting the power of the juices contained in onions; anyone who has ever sliced one and shed a tear is only too aware that they hold something special. Quite apart from its medicinal properties the onion is simply delicious. It forms the basis of so many dishes - whether raw, sautéed, baked, steamed or boiled, that it would be difficult to imagine the cuisine of any country without it.
Onions were historically as a preventative medicine during epidemics of cholera and the plague. They were apparently eaten by Roman emperor Nero as a cure for colds, and its reputation has made onions a popular component in the diets of many countries.
The reason that the onion is so much more active in its raw state than when cooked, is that it contains a variety of organic sulphur compounds, contained in a volatile oil, that provide the health benefits. These are partly destroyed by heat. When eaten raw, its juice can act as an irritant and some people find it difficult to digest. Those who are not tempted by the idea of eating raw onions can follow simple cooking methods that may make them more palatable. For people with sensitive stomachs, this is a far suitable way to enjoy the healthy benefits of onions. Onions baked in their skins, in a similar way to baked potatoes, are also delicious. This method of cooking keeps all the goodness inside, but the resulting flavour is milder and more aromatic than that of raw onions.
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