Onion is a widely known vegetable with many health benefits and in this article, we will be focusing on the top health benefits of onions, uses of onion, and how to preserve or store onions.
Onions are vegetables and they belong to the Allium genus family of flowering plants. Members of this allium genus family also include garlic, leeks, shallots, and chives. Onion is of different varieties that one can choose from, there are purple, yellow, white, red-purple, Spanish, and Vidalia onions.
These onions are vegetables and can be taken raw, pickled, cooked, dried, or powdered. In whatever way you choose to consume onions, you sure will get their nutritional value.
The health benefits of onions are enormous and you will get to know all of them in this very detailed and informative blog
We have also written about some powerful health benefits of scent leaf and bitter leaf.
Onions are nutrient-dense and are known as a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre. All these nutrients present in onions contribute to the very many health benefits onions have been shown to promote health.
Vitamins contained in onions are as follows:
Vitamin B
These vegetables are a rich source of vitamin B as well as folate (B9) and pyridoxine (B6). Vitamin B is the building block of a healthy body as it has a direct impact on your energy levels, brain function, red blood cell production and metabolism.
Vitamin B also helps prevent infections, promotes good eyesight, encourages healthy brain function, and healthy appetite to mention but a few
B vitamins are especially important for women who are pregnant and breastfeeding. Vitamin B reduces the risk of fetal birth defect, aids in fetal brain development, and helps in the production of red blood cells. This makes onions especially important for women who are pregnant and breastfeeding.
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Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Onions are particularly high in vitamin C, for the body to develop and function properly vitamin C is needed, as it plays an important role in the functioning of the immune system. It also regulates the immune system, iron absorption, collagen production, and tissue repairs.
If u are searching for a powerful antioxidant, onions are the answer. yes, you heard me right and this is because of the vitamin C present in it. Onions, therefore, protect your cells against damage caused by free radicals. It is important that we incorporate foods/ vegetables that contain vitamin C into our diets daily of which onions are one of them.
Therefore you have to overlook the fact that onions make you cry while cutting and try as much as possible to incorporate them into your meals. Do you know that onions enhance the taste and aroma of your foods? I bet you will want to give it a try.
Powerful Health Benefits of Onions
The health benefits of onions are many and this is a result of the enormous nutrients and chemicals present in them which are as follows: carbohydrates, protein, fibre, vitamin B and C, copper, magnesium, and potassium, etc. Now let’s take a peep into the benefits of onions.
1. Minimizes the risk of cancer.
Onions are one of the richest sources of a nutrient that is called quercetin. Quercetin is a plant pigment that has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect in the body and it is also known to prohibit the creation of cancerous cells as well as the activities of cancer-causing elements in the body.
Onions are a vegetable that is rich in quercetin, and quercetin has been associated with lowering the risk of developing lung cancer. the chemicals present in onions help to fight cancerous cells in the body.
Can’t you see that you need onions? With the increasing number of cancer cases in the world today, one cannot help but embrace onions with both hands.
It is worthwhile to add onions to every food you eat as they also add flavour to them. This is one of the powerful health benefits of onions and I believe by now you have already made up your mind to up your health and cooking game with a slice of onions. let’s go!
2. Treatment of a common cold
Historically, one of the health benefits of onions is their ability to fight cold and cold-related symptoms. I believe this is because of its mint-like flavour and effect when consumed raw.
Using onions for the treatment of cold is more effective especially when brewed and consumed as a tea, the tea can be sweetened with honey or any other sweetener of your choice.
One of the vitamins present in onions is vitamin C. The presence of vitamin C in onions makes it effective for the prevention and treatment of the common cold. This health benefit of onions will come in handy during the cold season.
3. Treatment of cough
A cough is a sudden and forceful hacking sound to release air which helps to clear irritation in the airway and throat. Onions might help prevent upper airway infections as it contains properties that help to fight and clear irritations and infections in the body.
There was a time my child suffered from persistent cough for a long period of time when I exhausted all remedies on my fingertips including the administration of cough syrup. I was advised to use onions syrup which worked perfectly within two days.
I prepared the syrup by slicing 1 big onion on a plate, after which I sprinkled two tablespoons of sugar on it and covered the plate. I allowed it to sit for 30 minutes so as to enable the juice from the onions to come out, I gave my child a spoon of the juice every two hours.
You have to prepare a new one once you exhaust the juice. Don’t give your baby the juice after 12 hours from the time it was prepared. ensure not to give the baby the onions syrup for more than 3days. Hope you can see that the health benefits of onions cannot be overemphasised.
Note that this is not scientifically proven as it is just my personal experience.
4. It helps to reduce oxidation in the human body
Onions provide the body with antioxidants, which are compounds that inhibit oxidation. Onions are an excellent source of antioxidants as they contain over 20 different varieties of flavonoids.
Oxidation is a process that leads to damage in the human cells which contributes to the development of many diseases like cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes.
Red onions contain anthocyanins which are special plant pigments that give red onions their deep colour, anthocyanins is also one of the flavonoids that aid in fighting oxidation in the human body.
The health benefits of onions are evident in a study by the national library of medicine, they examined the relationship between habitual anthocyanin and flavanone intake, coronary artery disease, and stroke in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and they discovered that Higher intakes of fruit-based flavonoids were associated with a lower risk of nonfatal MI and ischemic stroke.
5. It helps to control blood sugar
One of the health benefits of onions is their ability to control blood sugar. Onions consumption may help control blood sugar, which is especially significant for people with diabetes.
A study conducted by the national library of medicine to investigate the clinical hypoglycemic effects of Allium cepa (red onions) in type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients proved that, crude Allium cepa produced hypoglycemic effects, thus it could be used as a dietary supplement in the management of type 1 and/or type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Considering the very many beneficial compounds found in onions, consuming them may help reduce high blood sugar. At this juncture, you should go grab an onion if you have issues with your blood sugar so as to partake in the very many health benefits of onions.
6. Onions improve digestive health
One of the health benefits of onions is their ability to improve digestive health, and this is possible because onions are a rich source of fibre and prebiotics. prebiotics are nondigestible types of fibre that are broken down by gut bacteria that are beneficial to the body.
Onions are particularly rich in prebiotic inulin and fructooligosaccharides and this helps increase the number of friendly bacteria in your gut and thereby improve the function of the immune system. A diet rich in prebiotics may also help improve the absorption of important minerals such as calcium etc.
7. Improves bone health
The inclusion and consumption of onions in the diet are associated with improved bone density. This can be credited to their antioxidant properties, which reduce oxidative stress to a higher extent which in turn tends to reduce bone loss.
Onions are also rich in prebiotics which tend to improve the absorption of calcium. Calcium is a mineral known for strengthening and improving human bones. The above health benefits of onions should be enough to make you incorporate them into your diet.
8. Good for a healthy scalp and hairs
One of the health benefits of onions juice is its ability to help reverse premature greying of hair as a result of the presence of antioxidants in them.
When onion juice is massaged into the hair it can help increase blood circulation and improve hair growth. The antibacterial properties present in onions may help keep your scalp away from infections which further promotes a healthy scalp and hair. Onions promote healthy and shiny hair growth.
Onion juice provides extra sulfur which aids the growth of healthy, strong, and thick hair, thereby, preventing hair loss and damage to the scalp.
9. Other health benefits
The health benefits of onions cannot be exhausted. Quercetin present in Onions has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects which may help reduce swelling, control sugar in the blood and help prevent heart-related diseases. Quercetin is mostly used for conditions of the blood vessels, and heart and to prevent cancer in the body.
Onions may also be used for the treatment and management of diabetes, arthritis, and bladder infection, even for the treatment of covid-19. Please note that there is no strong scientific evidence to support most of the uses of onions.
Preparation and Use of Onions
To get all the health benefits of onions, you should be able to incorporate them into your meals. Onions are mostly used for cooking meals because of the taste, flavour, and aroma it gives to food.
When onions are added to food, it elevates its taste thereby making you long for more. There is this feeling of completeness and fulfilment you get from food just by the addition of onions. The good news is that this feeling of fulfilment and the health benefits of onions can be satisfied irrespective of how you add them to your meal. Below is a breakdown:
Raw
Onions can be eaten raw, added to salad, or sprinkled on food, they can also be used to beautify food as they can enhance the appearance and presentation of food.
Onions can be brewed and taken plain in form of juice, the juice can also be mixed in combination with any other type of juice or water. The onions juice can also be added to the meal. No matter the method or form in which onions are consumed you will still get the health benefits of onions
Dry
Onions in their dehydrated form can equally serve the same purpose as raw onions, but it may interest you to know that raw onions tend to release more flavour than dried onions.
Toasted
Onions are usually toasted in oil to enable them to release to the maximum their flavour, aroma and sweet taste. Onions in this form tend to lose their mint-like flavour and feeling, this enables one to enjoy in full the sweetness embedded in onions.
Note:
This information does not in any way replace that of a health professional. Be reminded to always contact your doctor about any medical concerns, issues, conditions and supplements that you may be taking. Always consider the advice of a medical practitioner on the treatment and management of any health issue you may experience.
Health benefits of onions – FAQs
1. Are onions healthier raw or cooked?
According to Tufts’ Health and Nutrition Letter, both cooked and raw onions are healthy, Although they stated that raw onions have higher levels of sulfur compounds, which may help protect your body against cancer, reduce “bad” cholesterol production, and lower your body’s blood sugar.
In essence, both raw and cooked onions are healthy, but raw onions still have all their nutrients intact while cooked onions may have lost some of their nutrients during the cooking process.
