Onions; they’re chopped, diced, or sliced, and found in various assortments of recipes. But did you know that there are significant health benefits for including them in your meals?
Let’s start with the facts. Onions, scientifically identified as Allium cepa, belong to the lily family. (The same family as garlic, leeks, chives, scallions and shallots!) There are over 600 species of Allium distributed all over Europe, North America, Northern Africa and Asia. Onions are normally used in meals/recipes, as spices, or as medicine, and there are over 120 different documented other uses!
The World Health Organization (WHO) supports the use of onions for the treatment of poor appetite and to prevent atherosclerosis, which is a hardening of the arteries due from plaque build up. In addition, onion extracts are recognized by WHO for providing relief in the treatment of coughs and colds, asthma and bronchitis; in fact, one onion extract was found to decrease allergy-induced bronchial constriction in asthma patients!
Tip from the Editor: “To obtain the maximum nutritional benefits from this vegetable, onions should be eaten either raw or lightly steamed. You can find several healthy & delicious recipes with onions by typing “onions” in the “Find A Recipe” search bar on the right, or by clicking HERE.” -David Jones II, Editor
Here are a few other positive health benefits:
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Onions are an excellent antioxidant, and they contain anti-allergy, antiviral and antihistamine properties.
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The sulfur compounds in onions help to detoxify the body!
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Onions aid in cellular repair.
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Onions are a rich source of quercetin, a potent antioxidant!
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