Do you remember being told by your mother to eat your vegetables? Some people are not interested in healthy eating though it is good for them. For them, junk food seems more tasty and appealing. Also, it is easy to add tasty onions into your diet due to its several health benefits.
Onions’ health benefits are really undeniable. The vegetable’s health benefits don’t change either in cooked form or if eaten raw. Besides having good taste, this veggie has a very long history of being amazing for the body.
Onion – Nutritional facts
Healthy eating always depends on the health benefits of fresh vegetables and fruits. Despite strong smell and watery eyes, this vegetable does a lot of good for your body.
There are many types of onions such as scallions, leeks, chives, shallots, but red, yellow and white bulbs have the highest concentration of nutrients that prevent or help treat diseases.
This vegetable contains phytonutrients from plants and flavonoids which gives flowers and plant their aroma and color. The veggie is packed with antioxidants.
Onion contains Vitamins B-6, A, K, and C. Minerals and other nutrients you are consuming are choline, niacin, calcium, manganese, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, potassium, and selenium. There are also sulfur, which forms a component of an amino acid. It is the sulfur in the cells in the vegetable that causes teary eyes while cutting it.
Benefits of raw onion
1. Improves fertility
Onion may have a strong impact on fertility by improving the health of sperm. Many studies on rats have revealed that sperm count and testosterone levels increase. The rats ate lots of the vegetable in 22 days.
2. Promotes bone health
Women because of their genetic makeup face bone loss more than men. When women consume this vegetable, they tend to have more dense bones, less susceptible to fracture. Without boring you with scientific terms, it is GPCS in the plant which prevents the breakdown of bones and osteoporosis and thus minimizes bone loss.
3. Good for heart health
Two common threats to the heart are LDL or bad cholesterol and blood clots. Onions are classified as a fiber, which is helpful in preventing blood clot. The antioxidants in this vegetable slow down accumulation of bad cholesterol. This limits oxidation and thus boosts blood circulation and reduces blood pressure.
4. Controls diabetes
Onion has fewer carbs so they do not stay in the bloodstream increasing blood sugar level. They also lower plasma blood glucose and prevent insulin resistance. This wonderful vegetable has chromium, which has been found to control blood sugar and avert diabetes.
5. Protects against cold and flu
Do you remember your mother cut the vegetable and rub it on chests to reduce congestion and help breathing? It is a great way to fight cold and flu. Medical personnel think this vegetable fights inflammation and mucus buildup in the sinuses and lungs. The antibacterial properties of the plant are very useful in getting rid of many infections. You will not find this in any medical journal, but putting a piece of onion next to the painful tooth or at the bottom of foot is useful for drawing out the poisons in body. Got a pain in the ear or jaw? Place a piece of onion against it for a few hours, and the pain will vanish.
6. Helps manage asthma
Onions are full of anti-inflammatory compounds. One of these compounds is quercetin, which is suitable for asthma and allergies. This compound help reduce the inflammation in the chest, so asthmatics and allergic patients can breathe.
7. Prevents cancer
Antioxidants prevent the cells from damaged by free radicals and cell-destroying agents. Cancer acts on a normal healthy cell and mutates it into cancerous. This vegetable has antioxidants that prevents these cells from mutating and stops tumors from further growing. The vegetable help prevent different types of cancer, including ovarian and stomach cancers.
8. Promotes gut health
The immune system as well as the gut work together for the body’s good health. The vegetable is known for its probiotics and fiber content, which help the healthy gut bacteria to grow and work effectively. These healthy bacteria have the ability to stop the bad bacteria from causing trouble in the stomach before they spread into bloodstream.
9. Improves sleep
Having trouble sleeping? Consume an onion. Research revealed that prebiotics in onion improves gut health. The gut sends the brain a strong signal to hint that stress is being managed, and the body now may go to sleep.
10. Promotes hair growth
One of the important nutrients found in the body is the amino acid sulfur. It is required by hair follicles for hair growth. A study was conducted on men and women using onion juice on their hair. The antioxidants are thought to control the free radicals that cause hair damage caused due to aging. The anti-microbial properties of onion fight against infections that cause scalp damages. All these together help achieve healthy hair follicles which result in stronger hair.
11. Good for skin health
Vitamins and minerals have excellent effects on the epidermis. Also, Vitamin C nourishes the skin. Vitamins C, A, and E protect skin from harmful effects of UV rays. The antioxidants remove toxins from the body, which gives skin a healthy glow. Breakouts don’t happen due to the anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties in onion. The quercetin and sulfur help prevent the signs of aging.