11 Reasons Why You Should Eat Onions | Health Benefits Of Onion
Onions might make you cry while you slice them, but do you know how good they are for your body, and do you know what are the health benefits of onion, probably not, let discuss the em.
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Before discussing the health benefits of onion first we need to know what onions are and why they are so different from other foods and we also need to know the nutritional profile of onions.
We will be discussing the health benefits of onion, side effects of onion and we will also answer some frequently asked questions about onion
We will also answer why onions make us cry when we cut them and how to avoid it.
Onions are a member of the Allium genus family, other foods of the same family are garlic, chives, and shallots.
Now lets us discuss the nutritional profile of Onions.
Onion nutrition facts
Onion is a real health food and full of vitamins and minerals and other important nutritional values, lets discuss them in detail.
Raw onion or cooked both are having a similar nutritional profile like raw onions have only 40 calories per 100 grams and it 89% water and we all know how good water-based foods are for us.
The different nutrient values in 100 grams of onions are
Vitamins and minerals in Onion
- Potassium — Potassium is also found in onions which is good for lower blood pressure. Also if you are low on potassium it can you feel tired so onion can help you with that too.
- Folate — This vitamin is so good for pregnant women for better cell growth as well as better metabolism.
As we have discussed the nutritional profile of onions it is time to discuss the health benefits of onion
11 Impressive health benefits of onions
From low libido to better bone density there are so countless health benefits of onion lets discuss them
1. Onions help improve immunity
Better immunity is very crucial these days as it can save us from new diseases coming up every day and antioxidants are important to improve immunity and the antioxidant profile of onions is pretty good.
Onions are so helpful for improving our immunity that is Russia onions are considered as herbal medicine and Russians use them when they have a cold or flu.
Polyphenols present in onions are the antioxidants that help our body fight against free radicals.
Onions also protect us from allergies as it stops the products of histamines in our body which make us sneeze or cry while we have allergies.
2. Onions improve bone density
Eating onions can be good for bones too especially for women.
A study published in the Journal Menopause revealed that women who eat onions on regular basis have a better bone profile than women who don’t eat onions.
Another study revealed that women who eat onions regularly had fewer chances of hip fracture than those women who never eat onions.
Eating onions were also found to improve the bone density of women aged over 50.
It is also said that Onions help your oxidative stress and discussed above boosts antioxidant levels which help to improve bone density and even helps us with osteoporosis.
3. Onion can help you with low libido and improve sex life
Onions are recommended for erectile dysfunction in many countries with a combination of other foods and certain properties of onions can really help you improve your sex life.
If you can take onion juice with honey it can help improve fertility in men, but do keep in mind it won’t help in one night or one week as natural treatments take time but they have last longing effects too.
Onions also strengthen reproductive organs and increase testosterone and which directly helps in boosting libido for both men and women.
Related — 21 foods for Erectile Dysfunction
Ancient Indian text Ayurveda it is considered as one of the best food to build up and improve sexual energy.
A combination of honey and golden onions is great for low libido and it ill works wonders if you consume them on empty stomach first thing in the morning.
4. Onions boost digestion
If you have digestion issues onions can be your best friend.
Fiber is one of the most important components for better digestion and is really helpful to avoid constipation.
Inulin is a type of fiber found in Onions, this inulin acts as a food source for good bacteria in our body.
Oligofructose is a type of fiber that is found in onion that helps to improve the production of good bacteria in our intestines which helps for better digestion.
Related — Foods to avoid with diarrhea
A study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that this oligofructose can help prevent diarrhea too.
Also, natural prebiotics found in onions helps us with constipation.
5 . Onions are good for your heart
Onions contain flavonoids and thiosulfinates, flavonoids help us by decreasing bad cholesterol levels in our body and the thiosulfinates helps with better blood flow consistency.
Flavonoids in onions also act as a blood thinner which reduces the chances of heart attack too.
Onions are high in antioxidants and compounds that fight inflammation and helps to decrease triglycerides which helps to reduce cholesterol levels.
There are components in onion that help reduce high blood pressure which is important for better heart health.
Many animal studies show that onion consumption decreases the risk factors such as blood clotting, high triglycerides levels, and inflammation which can seriously damage our heart health.
6.Onions are good for skin
Onions can help you better skin quality and can help you with ageless skin.
Onions have Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and high water content.All these vitamins directly help you with better skin quality and even helps you with skin scars.
These vitamins can even help you against free radicals and protect your skin against UV rays.
And vitamin C in onions will help you with glowing skin.
You can even make a face mask of onion with other components and apply them to your face to get benefits.
The high water content in onions can help your skin with dehydration.
You can also use onion juice to treat dark spots.
7. Onion is good for your hairs
One of the most popular health benefits of onion is how it affects our hair.
Onion is very good for your hairs it can promote hair growth and it can help you with dandruff too.
You must have seen so many hair packs and DIY with onion to improve your hair health. Also, Ayurveda suggests an onion for good hair health.
Onion juice contains sulfur and when applied to hairs it can provide stronger and thicker hairs so hair juice is great if you have hair thinning problem.
It can increase your hair growth too as when you apply onion juice to your scalp it can increase blood flow to your hair follicles which will directly help you with better hair growth.
Onion pack or onion juice will also help you with dandruff too as due to its antibacterial properties it can kill the bacteria that is responsible for dandruff.
Even some people claim that onion juice can reverse hair greying too.
8.Onion helps with Blood sugar
If you have a blood sugar problem you seriously need to add onion to your diet.
Onion contains chromium which helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Also, the sulfur present in onions triggers insulin production and helps us with blood sugar levels.
There is a study that shows that people who suffer from Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can eat red onion s which can decrease their glucose levels up to 4 hours.
A study was done on in which rats were fed onion extracts for 28 days which resulted in decreased fasting blood sugar levels.
9. Onion helps you fight Cancer
Vegetables from the Allium family is linked with a lower risk of a certain type of cancer. Onions especially red onions can help you destroy cancer cells especially breast and colon cancer.
Onions have anthocyanin and quercetin and these are responsible to help you with destroying cancer cells.
Onion creates an environment that provokes certain cancer cells to kill themselves.
Onions also contain fisetin, this fisetin with quercetin is linked to killing the growth of tumors too.
10.Onions prevent inflammation and allergies
We know onion contains flavonoids and that helps us with inflammation but the onions are also good for treating some allergies.
One of the most important anti-inflammatory components of onion is sulfur.
Eating an onion before sleep can relieve congestion as sulfur in onion helps break down mucous.
Onions have been linked to showing prohibit the growth of bacteria like E.Coli and S.Aureus which are potentially harmful.
11. Onions are good for your vision and can help cure ear problems
Onions can help us with better vision and better eye health. There is selenium in onions that promote the production of Vitamin E and this vitamin is very important for a better vision.
Vitamin E also helps you avoiding Conjunctivitis that is a really painful eye problem.
Although there are no solid scientific proofs many parents swear by with onion juice to help with to cure ear ailments.
Putting an onion pack in an infected ear might help you with ear infections.
So these were some health benefits of onion but everything has some side effects too let’s discuss the side effects of onions.
Although onions are really healthy and full of nutrients and they are no serious side effects of onion but they can be some mild side effects of onions lets discuss them also how to avoid them
The most common side effect of onion is bad breath. Sulfuric components in onions are responsible for this bad breath.
This can continue until the onion is completely digested in your gut. To avoid this problem try eating products like mint after eating onions.
Another thing you can do is to brush your teeth and floss after eating onions to avoid this smell.
Can trigger acid reflux
Yes, onion can trigger acid reflux in your gut.
If you experience a burning in your stomach or throat or chest after eating onions then it might be a cause of acid reflux.
If you get this problem frequently when you consume onion then you need to decrease the quantity of onion and avoid it eating at night.
Symptoms of onion allergy
- Cramping
- Gas
- Dizziness
- Nasal congestion
- Difficult breathing
- Itching in mouth or body
- Rashes on body
- Diarrhea
Yes, you read that right while onion helps avoid allergies some people can be allergic to onions.
Let’s answer some frequently asked questions about onions.
If you want to know if you are allergic to onions or not check out for these symptoms
Well, you really can’t do anything about a food allergy, if you get this problem too often or your allergy is out of control go see a doctor.
Why does chopping onion make us cry?
When you chop an onion it releases a chemical known as syn-propanediol-S-oxide. This chemical is the reason we cry as it causes an unusual condition in our eyes.
This chemical stimulates the eye’s lachrymal glands and hence make us release tears.
You can avoid crying while cutting onion by using big glasses or masks while cutting an onion to avoid syn-propanediol-S-oxide getting in your eyes.
Is eating raw onion good
Raw onions won’t have any negative effect on your body so it’s your choice to eat an onion raw or cooked it really doesn’t matter.
Although we advise you to eat raw onion as it has more amount of sulfur than a cooked onion.
Onions might may you cry while chopping them but there are so many health benefits of onion and they can help you in different conditions.
Onions can be good for your hairs, eyes, and skin, even they help your low libido.
We had discussed 11 health benefits of onion which will you want to try onions to get these benefits. But keep in mind these benefits will time to show so consume them for around 3months to see some benefits.
So eat onions and get the health benefits of onion but also keep an eye on side effects too.
Oriinally published at https://simplebodyfitness.com on October 4, 2020.
