Health benefits of Onions
 | What would life be like without onions? The onion has been used as an ingredient in various |
There are many different varieties of onion, red, yellow, white, and green, each with their own unique flavour, from very strong to mildly sweet. Onions can be eaten raw, cooked, fried, dried or roasted.
They 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. The plants can be used as ornamentals, vegetables, spices, or as medicine. There are over 120 different documented uses of the Alliums.
Uses of Onions Onions have a variety of medicinal effects. Early American settlers used wild onions to treat colds, coughs, and asthma, and to repel insects. In Chinese medicine, onions have been used to treat angina, coughs, bacterial infections, and breathing problems.
The World Health Organization (WHO) supports the use of onions for the treatment of poor appetite and to prevent atherosclerosis. In addition, onion extracts are recognized by W.H.O for providing relief in the treatment of coughs and colds, asthma and bronchitis. Onions are known to decrease bronchial spasms. An onion extract was found to decrease allergy-induced bronchial constriction in asthma patients. Onions are a very rich source of fructo-oligosaccharides. These oligomers stimulate the growth of healthy bifid bacteria and suppress the growth of potentially harmful bacteria in the colon. In addition, they can reduce the risk of tumours developing in the colon. Other uses unclude:
* Cardiovascular Help: Onions contain a number of sulphides similar to those found in garlic which may lower blood lipids and blood pressure. In India, communities that never consumed onions or garlic had blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels substantially higher, and blood clotting times shorter, than the communities that ate liberal amounts of garlic and onions.
Onions are a rich source of flavonoids, substances known to provide protection against cardiovascular disease.
* Cancer Prevention Onion extracts, rich in a variety of sulphides, provide some protection against tumour growth. In central Georgia where Vidalia onions are grown, mortality rates from stomach cancer are about one-half the average level for the United States. Studies in Greece have shown a high consumption of onions, garlic and other allium herbs to be protective against stomach cancer.
Chinese with the highest intake of onions, garlic, and other Allium vegetables have a lowered risk of stomach cancer 40% than those with the lowest intake. Elderly Dutch men and women with the highest onion consumption (at least one-half onion/day) had one-half the level of stomach cancer compared with those consuming no onions at all.
Caution!
Onions have a universal appeal. They are safely consumed by most people. However, consuming large quantities of onions can lead to stomach distress and gastrointestinal irritation that may result in nausea and diarrhoea. There are no known interactions with drugs except that they can potentiate the action of anticoagulants.
Conclusion
Onions, and other Allium species, are highly valued herbs possessing culinary and medicinal value. Some of their beneficial properties are seen after long-term usage. Onion may be a useful herb for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, especially since they diminish the risk of blood clots. Onion also protects against stomach and other cancers, as well as protecting against certain infections. Onion can improve lung function, especially in asthmatics. The more pungent varieties of onion appear to possess the greatest concentration of health-promoting phytochemicals. Stay healthy with the right informations, share what you know.
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