18 Great Benefits of Onions

About 18 Great Benefits of Onions Android App

Never mind the tears they bring on–onions are an ace ally in your fight against disease. A prized member of the lily family, onions lavish you with health benefits while adding oodles of taste to your food. Not to mention you can buy a bundle from the grocery store for mere pennies.

Here’s a quick glimpse at their incredible health benefits:

The phytochemicals in onions along with their vitamin C help improve 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 lowers the production of bad cholesterol (LDL), thus keeping your heart healthy.
A powerful compound called quercetin in onions is known to play a significant role in preventing cancer.
Got stung 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.
Which type of onions are the healthiest? Researchers from Cornell studied 11 onion varieties, and found that shallots and Western yellow onions were the healthiest for their phenolic and flavonoid content.

What Is The History Of Onions?
The ancient origin of onions spans the western and eastern parts of Asia. There are numerous species of onions found the world over, which basically means they were cultivated across the world probably at the same time. Records suggest that onions started to be used in China way back in 5000 BC – more so because of the bulb’s durability to transport and store. Ancient Egyptians were known to revere the vegetable, considering its spherical shape and concentric rings a symbol of eternal life. In fact, onions were also used in ancient Egyptian burials.

What Are The Different Types Of Onions?
Onion is so widely used that any culinary dish from almost any part of the earth has the vegetable added to it. No doubt there are several types of onions – but here, we talk about the most common ones.

1) Yellow onions – They have ivory white flesh that is surrounded by heavy brown skin. They have a strong and sulfur-like aroma.

2) Sweet onions – They have a lighter, less-opaque skin that surrounds a larger and slightly fatter body of the vegetable.

3) White onions – They have a papery white skin, and they are milder and sweeter than their yellow counterparts.

4) Red onions – They are mild and sweet enough to be eaten raw. The exterior skin and flesh are a deep magenta.

5) Shallots – They are smaller and brown-skinned and have purple flesh.

6) Green onions – They are the immature onions that haven’t yet formed a bulb.

7) Leeks – They are shaped like overgrown scallions (the long-necked onion with a small bulb) and are usually used in sauces and soups.

Are Onions Good For You?
You bet.
Whether it is raw onions or cooked onions, they are loaded with benefits. And you can eat them whenever you want – day or night. The vegetables are an excellent source of vitamins C and B6, folate, iron, and potassium. Onions are also rich in manganese that offers protection against cold and flu.
Allium and allyl disulphide, two phytochemicals in onions, are converted into allicin post ingestion. Allicin, as per certain studies, has properties to fight cancer and diabetes (1). It can also reduce the stiffness of blood vessels and lower blood pressure levels. Even the other onion types like chives, leeks, and shallots have similar benefits.
Onions also contain quercetin, another antioxidant that fights inflammation. More interestingly, cooking onions in soup doesn’t diminish their quercetin value but simply transfers the antioxidant from the vegetable to the soup broth.