The Health Benefits of Onions

 

The benefits of onions are numerous. Vegetables of the genus onions contain highly concentrated natural nutrients, vitamins, and phytochemicals that have all been shown to improve human health. The medical benefits of onion are traced back to 4000 years ago. According to traditional legend, the ancient Greek doctorician Ptolemy recommended eating raw onion daily as part of a healthy diet. In addition to boosting the immune system, onions contain a wealth of antimicrobial compounds that help prevent infections from recurring.

Additionally, onions are rich in vitamin A and C, vitamin B6, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, and vitamin E. Additionally, raw onions have a wide range of other characteristics, including a pleasant smell, a mild taste, very little effort required to chew, the ability to save food from spoiling, freshness, and low calorie. The benefits of onions are not limited to their taste and aroma; onions are excellent when preserved to preserve their nutrients. Many of the health benefits of onions are due to their protein contents.

Raw onions contain beta-carotene which may help prevent macular degeneration and protect cardiovascular health. Studies suggest that eating onions on a regular basis may help to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Eating onion regularly may help to prevent conditions such as: high blood pressure, asthma, eczema, excessive sweating, excessive food intake, hormonal problems, osteoporosis, varicose veins, and certain types of cancer. These studies have shown that the benefits of onions include: preventing inflammation, reducing blood sugar levels, improving digestion, increasing antioxidant status, decreasing risk of heart disease, lowering cholesterol levels, and improving kidney function.

Many people believe that red onions contain more antioxidants than white onions, but the evidence is unclear. High-quality red onions contain significantly higher amount of antioxidants compared to white onions. The benefits of antioxidants may be due to the presence of flavonoids (flavonoids are highly reactive oxygen species) and polyphenols (a class of powerful antioxidants) present in higher amount in raw onions. In addition, these antioxidants found in higher amount in raw onions help to scavenge free radicals and prevent premature aging.

There are two types of antioxidants present in onions: non-phenolic and phenolic antioxidants. Non-phenolic antioxidants are known to prevent cataracts and protect DNA from damage. Onions are a rich source of non-phenolic antioxidants; therefore, eating onions regularly can help you lower your risk of age-related eye disease. In addition, onions are a rich source of Vitamin A, potassium, iron, phosphorous, manganese, zinc, chromium, vitamins C and E, and several B vitamins. These compounds are helpful for preventing colds, flu, arthritis, heart disease, skin ailments like acne and eczema, psoriasis, vaginal yeast infections and Candida yeast. And research indicates that eating a wide range of fruits and vegetables can also help to make your skin more resistant to damage by free radicals.

Aside from quercetin, another substance that may help reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases, is anaflavins. Aflavins are believed to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels and may help to prevent certain forms of cancer. Studies have indicated that eating American or standard onion servings (including those in sauces and salad dressings) may help reduce LDL cholesterol (bad) and increase HDL cholesterol (good) in the bloodstream. Moreover, onion consumption may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and stroke. Quercetin and allicin, two compounds in onions, may help prevent colon cancer.