The
flavor of onions can range from very sweet to so pungent, they make your eyes
water. Regardless of the variety of the vegetable, you can count on a number of
nutrients entering your body after consumption. The various sizes, shapes,
colors and flavors make the onion one of the most versatile of all healthy
foods. When you tire of one type, simply move on to another for a change of
pace while retaining essentially the same nutrients.
A
good source of vitamin C and contain various other vitamins and minerals,
onions are also rich in compounds called polyphenols, which include flavonoids,
tannins and sulfur-containing nutrients, according to the book “Superfoods: The
Healthiest Foods on the Planet.” Animal research indicates that onions display
strong antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but the
health benefits of onions have not been well demonstrated in humans.
Onions
are sometimes avoided because of their pungent taste, which tends to linger in
your mouth, but they contain a number of compounds beneficial for health. In
addition to various vitamins and minerals, onions also contain phytonutrients,
many of which display antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties once
absorbed in your body. Limiting inflammation in certain chronic diseases, such
as arthritis, can help reduce symptomatology. Ask your doctor how dietary
choices can affect your body’s inflammatory response.
Inflammation
Acute
inflammation is a natural and necessary response of your body to injury or
infection, but chronic, low-grade inflammation is not normal. Arthritis,
asthma, auto-immune diseases such as lupus and congestive heart failure are all
examples of an inflammation response that is inappropriate and deleterious to
your health. Certain nutrients and compounds in food are pro-inflammatory, such
as saturated fat, omega-6 fatty acids and simple carbohydrates, whereas others
tend to be anti-inflammatory. Onions are rich in compounds that deter
inflammation, which makes them a good dietary choice if you have cardiovascular
disease, chronically swollen joints or allergies.
Anti-inflammatory Benefits
A
particularly powerful antioxidant in onion is a flavonoid called quercetin.
Quercitin not only scavenges potentially harmful free radicals, but it combines
with vitamin C and other compounds to inhibit enzymes that generate
pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and thromboxanes, according to the “Textbook of
Nutritional Medicine.” Furthermore, quercetin helps to prevent the oxidation of
fatty acids, which leads to fewer pro-inflammatory messaging molecules and less
systemic inflammation. In addition, a sulfur-based compound called onionin-A,
found in the bulb portion of the onion, inhibits the activity of specialized
white blood cells responsible for triggering large-scale inflammatory
responses.
Other
Health Benefits of Onions
The
sulfur in onions has been linked to cardiovascular health, by preventing blood
platelets from clogging. It has been also linked to lower cholesterol,
something many people carrying around excess fat are at risk of getting.
Many
types of onions work to prevent the growth of cancerous tumors stemming from
various forms of cancer. In addition to its cancer-fighting properties, many
types of onions can increase bone density to help you avoid injury.
When
inflammation is your problem, onions may be the answer! Onions have many anti-inflammatory
properties that fight against many illnesses. The anti-oxidants found in onions
provide a back up defense to keep your immune system working properly.
Onions prevent fatty acids from being oxidized, which has the effect of
producing less inflammation in various parts of the body.
To
reap these health benefits of onions does not require eating several onions
each day as you would an apple. Simply adding onions in a few strategic
places throughout your meals can help you take advantage of the nutrients in
onions.
Quercetin
“The
Practical Encyclopedia of Whole Foods” recommends onions as a nutritious
addition to your meal because they provide abundant levels of quercetin, the
antioxidant properties of which can help reduce the risk of developing stomach
cancer. The same source also asserts that eating half an average size raw onion
can thin your blood, lower LDL cholesterol levels and give a boost to “good”
HDL cholesterol by as much as 30 percent.
Nutrient-Rich Green Tops
A
comparison of the nutrition data at Healthaliciousness.com reveals that the
most nutrient-rich onions to add to your diet are young onions with green tops.
The 4,000 IU of vitamin A found in a 3.5-ounce serving of these onions
represents 80 percent of the entire recommended daily intake. Young onions with
green tops also add high percentages of vitamin C, vitamin K and iron.
Cancer Prevention
The
book “Fight Back with Food” focuses on the practical health quality afforded by
the presence of lesser-known nutrients in onions. Evidence of diallyl sulfide’s
phytochemical cancer prevention properties is illustrated by the editors’
contention that the death rate from stomach cancer in Vidalia, Georgia, home of
the sweet onion named after the town, is significantly lower than average due
to the regular presence of onions as part of the menu inside homes and
restaurants.
Unclogging Nasal Passages
The
very same enzyme reaction that produces tears when you cut into a pungent onion
can help alleviate congested nasal passages when you experience a cold. Sulfur
combines with enzymes to produce a sulfuric acid, which is the cause of the
tears. Using this same process by cooking onions with honey until a syrup is
created can be consumed as part of a natural regimen to stave off clogged
noses, according to “Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal.”
Protection Against Toxins
Another
phytochemical found in onions is allicin. According to Stanford Medicine Cancer
Center, allicin is a nutritional component also found in garlic that serves to
obstruct dangerous toxins produced during bacterial and viral infections.
Dietary Fiber
Onions
are an effective natural food source for fighting constipation, according to
“Prevention Magazine’s Nutrition Advisor.” Half a cup of chopped onions
contains 1.3 grams of fiber, which can help not only with constipation, but
also in preventing hemorrhoids and potentially offering protection against
colon cancer.
Types
of Onions
The
most commonly found, and eaten, onions are bulb onions that come in white,
brown, yellow and red varieties. There are other types of onions that don’t
look like traditional onions including scallions (green onions), leeks and
shallots.
So
if you think you’re not an onion person, give these varieties a fair shake so
that you can enjoy the health benefits of onions.
Onions
share many nutrients throughout the different varieties, but let’s just focus
on onions for now. Traditional onions have lots of vitamin C and B6, as well as
folate, potassium and manganese.
Scallions,
like leeks are packed with vitamins K and C, two essential nutrients for
well-being and fat burning. One medium scallion has just 5 calories, making it
flavorful way to enhance a dish without adding tons of calories. Leeks however
also provide lots of vitamins A and B6, in addition to calcium, iron, manganese
and potassium.
The
nutrition facts of onions provide the body with a wealth of vitamins and
minerals that keep your body functioning properly for effective fat loss.
Recommendations
With
their unique combination of flavonoids and sulfur-containing nutrients, onions
are an important part of any anti-inflammatory diet. The flavonoids in onions
are more concentrated in the outer layers, so to maximize the health benefits,
peel off as little of the edible portion as possible when removing the fibrous
outer layer. Both white and red onions are rich in quercetin, which does not
degrade when simmered in soup, but is destroyed when cooked at high
temperatures.
What
do most of us know about onions? Hmmm, don’t eat them on a date and that’s
pretty much it.
Onions
are a great source of nutrition as well as a fat burning food. Learning more
about onion nutrition facts will help you incorporate them into your diet for a
flavorful way to eat healthy.
References
- Standford.edu: Onions and Allicin
- Healthaliciousness.com: Onion Nutritional Label Guide
- "Practical Encyclopedia of
Whole Foods"; Nicola Graimes; 2008
- "Foods that Harm, Foods
that Heal"; Theresa Lane (editor); 1996
- "Fight Back with
Food"; Reader's Digest editors; 2002
- "Prevention Magazine's
Nutrition Advisor"; Mark Bricklin; 1993
- Superfoods: The Healthiest
Foods on the Planet; Tonia Reinhard
- Textbook of Nutritional
Medicine; Melvyn Werbach and Jeffery Moss
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