Onions Health Benefits And Nutrition Facts
Onions are super-healthy, they are excellent sources of vitamin C, sulphuric compounds, flavonoids and phytochemicals
Phytochemicals, or phytonutrients, are naturally occurring compounds in fruits and vegetables that are able to react with the human body to trigger healthy reactions. Flavonoids are responsible for pigments in many fruits and vegetables. Studies have shown that they may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
valuable flavonoid in onions is quercetin, which acts as an antioxidant that may be linked to preventing cancer. It has a host of other benefits, as well, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, reducing the symptoms of bladder infections, promoting prostate health and lowering blood pressure
Partly because of their use in cooking around the world, onions are among the most significant sources of antioxidants in the human diet. Onions are healthy whether they're raw or cooked, though raw onions have higher levels of organic sulfur compounds that provide many benefits.
A 2005 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that there is a high concentration of flavonoids in the outer layers of onion flesh, so you'll want to be careful to remove as little of the edible part of the onion as possible when peeling it.
Health Benefits of onions
1. Heart health
Onions encourage a healthy heart in many ways, including lowering blood pressure and lowering heart attack risk. The quercetin in onions may also help prevent plaque buildup in the arteries, which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.
2. Immune system
The polyphenols in onions act as antioxidants, protecting the body against free radicals. The quercetin in onions also reduces allergic reactions by stopping your body from producing histamines, which are what make you sneeze, cry and itch if you're having an allergic reaction.
3. Cancer
Quercetin may be a powerful anti-cancer agent, the quercetin may especially inhibit cancer cells in breast, colon, prostate, ovarian, endometrial, and lung tumors. Study showed that people who ate onions absorbed twice as much quercetin as those who drank tea, and more than three times as much quercetin as those who ate apples.
4. Digestion
The fiber in onions promotes good digestion and helps keep you regular. Additionally, onions contain a special type of soluble fiber called oligofructose, which promotes good bacteria growth in your intestines. One 2005 study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that oligofructose may help prevent and treat types of diarrhea. The phytochemicals in onions that scavenge free radicals may also reduce your risk of developing gastric ulcers, according to the National Onion Association.
5. Bone density in older women
A 2009 study in the journal Menopause found that daily consumption of onions improves bone density in women who are going through or have finished menopause. Women who ate onions frequently had a 20 percent lower risk of hip fracture than those who never ate onions.
