11 Proven Health Benefits of Onions

Jindal Naturecure
6 min readDec 7, 2021

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11 Proven Health Benefits of Onions

Do you recall your mother and grandma telling you to eat your vegetables when you were a kid? However, some people are not interested in eating healthily just because it is good for them. Junk food tastes better to them. Fortunately, incorporating delectable onions into the diet for their numerous health advantages is simple.

The health advantages of onions are apparent. The vegetable is one of many whose health benefits remain the same whether cooked or raw. Aside from being delicious, the vegetable has a long history of being beneficial to the human body.

A Brief History

Food as medicine has been recommended by healers for thousands of years, dating back to the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Indians, and Asians.

It’s amusing to imagine our foremothers asking their children to eat their vegetables.

It’s impossible to pinpoint one specific location as the origin of the vegetable because it was recognised throughout the ancient globe. In Pompeii, archaeologists discovered onions and proof that ancient Romans used them to spice up their meals. Europeans took it to America, only to discover that the locals were already eating it.

It’s impossible to pinpoint one specific location as the origin of the vegetable because it was recognised throughout the ancient globe. In Pompeii, archaeologists discovered onions and proof that ancient Romans used them to spice up their meals. Europeans took it to America, only to discover that the locals were already eating it.

The plant was also regarded as a spiritual tool. When the plague spread over the world, for example, people used onions as a charm to ward off evil spirits.

The vegetable was thought to be good for the heart, stomach, and joints by the ancient Indians. The herb was used to treat ulcers and haemorrhoids in the Middle Ages.

Onions and How They Help You Today

The health advantages of fresh fruits and vegetables have traditionally been a cornerstone of a healthy diet. Despite the watery eyes and occasionally unpleasant odour and taste, this robust vegetable is extremely beneficial to the health.

Onions come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including leeks, scallions, chives, shallots, and more, but red, white, and yellow bulbs have the highest concentration of disease-fighting minerals.

The vegetable contains phytonutrients, which are plant nutrients, as well as flavonoids, which are the pigments that give flowers and plants their colour and perfume. For example, vegetable, like berries, is high in antioxidants.

Vitamins A, B-6, K, and C are all present. Niacin, choline, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, and selenium are minerals and other nutrients you consume. Sulphur, an amino acid, is also present. When you cut into the vegetable, the sulphur in the cells causes you to cry.

Fun fact: It gets sweeter the longer it sits in the ground. On the other hand, the more time it spends in the field, the fewer nutrients it has. Although Vidalia or other brands of sweet onions taste better, they don’t provide as much nutritional value. What are the 11 health advantages that you should not overlook?

Onions Have 11 Proven Health Benefits

1. Bone Health

Bone loss is more common in women than in males due to their genetic constitution. Women who consume this vegetable have more thick bones that are less prone to fractures. Without going into technical details, it is the GPCS in the plant that prevents bone breakdown, osteoporosis, and bone loss.

2. Heart Health

Blood clots and LDL, or bad cholesterol, are two risks to the heart. Onions are a good source of fibre, which helps to prevent blood clots. The antioxidants in the vegetable help to lower bad cholesterol levels, which reduces oxidation and improves blood flow and blood pressure.

3. Diabetes

Vegetables include fewer carbs, so they don’t stay in the system as long, boosting blood sugar levels. They actually lower blood glucose levels in the blood and reduce insulin resistance. Chromium is found in vegetables, and it has been demonstrated to help manage blood sugar and prevent diabetes.

4. Colds and Flu

From antiquity to the present, moms and grandmothers have split the vegetable in half and rubbed it on their chests to relieve congestion and improve breathing. It turns out that this is an effective technique of preventing colds and flu.

Medical experts believe the veggie helps to reduce inflammation and mucus buildup in the lungs and sinuses. The plant’s antimicrobial qualities can help you get rid of illnesses.

Fun fact: You won’t find this in any major medical magazine, but placing a slice of onion next to a hurting tooth or on the bottom of the foot held in place by a sock will help draw out poisons from the body. Do you have discomfort in your ear, jaw, or another region of your body? The pain will go away if you hold a slice of onion against it for a couple of hours. It may be nothing more than an old wives’ tale, but it works.

5. Asthma

Anti-inflammatory chemicals abound in onions. Quercetin, for example, is good for allergies and asthma. Asthmatics and allergy sufferers can breathe easier since this substance lowers inflammation in the little branch-like sections of the chest.

6. Cancer

Antioxidants protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and other cell-damaging substances. Cancer transforms a normally healthy cell into one that is malignant. The antioxidants in this simple little veggie prevent cells from mutating and malignancies from developing. Several forms of cancer, including stomach and ovarian cancers, are helped or prevented by the plant.

7. Gut Health

For the body’s best health, the immune system and the gut work in tandem. The fibre and prebiotics in the vegetable help the beneficial bacteria in the stomach grow and function properly. These good bacteria keep the bad bacteria from creating problems in the gut and spreading into the circulation.

When all of this comes together, the gut is healthy, the immune system is at its best, and inflammation is no longer an issue.

8. Sleep

Do you have difficulties sleeping? Take a bite of onion. The prebiotics in this vegetable has been shown to help with intestinal health in studies. The gut then sends a signal to the brain, indicating that tension has been dealt with and that the body can now sleep. In a study, rats were given the vegetable and went to sleep after eating it.

9. Skin and Hair

The amino acid sulphur is a nutrient that is both contained in and required by the body. Hair follicles require it for healthy growth and strong hair. A study was conducted on both men and women who used vegetable’s juice on their hair.

74 per cent of the subjects had experienced some hair growth after four weeks. Hair regrowth was observed in 87 per cent of those who used the juice for six weeks. Male participants had more hair regrowth than females.

The antioxidants in the vegetable are thought to fight free radicals, which cause ageing hair damage. The antimicrobial qualities of the vegetable help to battle infections that might cause damage to the scalp. All of these factors work together to create healthy hair follicles and stronger hair.

The epidermis responds well to vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C, for example, is good for the skin. Vitamins A, C, and E help to protect the skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. The antioxidants in the vegetable help to eliminate toxins from the body, giving skin a healthy shine over time.

Due to the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic characteristics of the vegetable, breakouts will not occur. These vegetables include quercetin and sulphur, which assist to prevent the indications of ageing.

Weight Control

Due to its proximity to and negative effects on the heart, belly fat is one of the most harmful types of weight to carry around. To counteract this, the metabolism must be accelerated. For this reason, the nutrients in vegetables are an important part of a balanced diet. They contain fibre as well as the vitamins and minerals required to give the metabolism a boost.

The vegetable has only 64 calories per serving, is 89 per cent water, and, when combined with the fibre, keeps you full without putting on weight. The vegetable, whether cooked or raw, is not only healthy but also aids in weight loss.

Final Thoughts on Onion Consumption’s Health Benefits

Healthy eating has featured a variety of foods for various health advantages from ancient times to the present. Vegetables provide us with the fibre, vitamins, and minerals that our bodies and cells require to function properly. It’s a fantastic bonus if they taste excellent and provide intriguing texture to our meals. All of this is provided by the veggie in question.

Eating the vegetable before it has fully matured provides very little, if any, of the essential nutrients we require. Stick to the red, white, and yellow types of the plant to get these nutrients. Keep in mind that the sweeter types of vegetables lack the nutrients you require.

So go out and buy some onions!

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Jindal Naturecure

Jindal Nature cure Institute (JNI) is a naturopathy hospital which treats patients using drugless regimen. https://jindalnaturecure.in/