Eating healthy is easy, but you need to know what is healthy and what is not.
And when it comes to getting in shape, we try all sorts of things.
We buy expensive courses that do nothing good. We buy supplements that only cost a ton. But, we never look around and try to find out that all the things are already in our kitchen.
And there is no doubt about onions and their healthy uses. They not only make the dishes tasty but also add many nutrients to our diet. They have got several good things to do with our health and here we will discuss only some of the most important.
What do you do to get your daily calories requirement?
Definitely YOU eat a balanced diet rich in various nutrients that give us enough energy for the healthy functioning of our body.
And what type of diet you want?
Definitely tasty, energetic, healthy and within your budget.
But, if something is tasty and energetic will it be healthy as well? It may or may not be.
Here we're going to talk about such thing that you may not like and would not think getting it in your diet. But, that is something you must use in your diet and also daily. And that is onion juice because of its mutiple health benefits.
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Do you know that 40% people say that healthy foods are not tasty and 75% say healthy foods are expensive, as per a consumer report by Catalina Marketing? (1)
Also, you cannot eat certain foods everyday to fulfill your calories requirement even though they could give you daily required energy.
For example, can you eat 23 fried eggs (46 g each) OR 19 bananas (118 g each) every day over a month? Nobody can.
But, both of them give you over 2,000 calories.
So, we eat diets that contain variety of nutrients in recommended amounts to boost the taste and energize our body.
And here is the evidence in favour of onions that makes onions an integral part of your diet.
The onion is perhaps most commonly known for being an aromatic ingredient that you can use in all kinds of dishes, but this powerful vegetable also provides benefits that reach far beyond the dinner table.
Onions contain potent health-promoting flavonoids and phenolics that act as anti-carcinogenic, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, making this important vegetable a force to be reckoned with.
It is also a good source of vitamins e.g. vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, Folic Acid, and body essential minerals e.g. calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and dietary fibers.
Not only does the onion itself contain beneficial properties, but the juice of the onion is surprisingly useful as well.
Below are the top 10 health benefits of onion juice.
1. Protection against Allergens.
Onions contain a powerful antioxidant known as quercetin which can help stave off a large number of allergic reactions, as well as chronic inflammatory conditions such as asthma.(2)
The quercetin contained in onions is absorbed through the intestines, and resides in the bloodstream for a long time, providing die-hard protection from these bothersome ailments.
Quercetin is an antioxidant neutralizes free radicals that cause cell damage and it also strengthens cells that release histamine in our body.
As they are a quercetin-rich food, onions reduce the buildup plaque in arteries that is a main cause of heart attacks and other life-threatening heart diseases.
2. Helps in proper digestion of foods.
Proper digestion of the foods we eat is the backbone of a healthy, functioning body. If we don’t digest what we eat then we have to be ready for more diseases. And here again, onions play an important role in keeping our digestive mechanism in place.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2009, nearly 60 to 70 million people were diagnosed with digestive disorders of some kind.(3)
Some of the diseases caused by digestive disorders are gallstones, cholangitis, GERD, and hiatal hernia.
Onions provide an excellent supply of inulin, a soluble dietary fiber that acts as a source of food for the good bacteria in the intestines.(4)
Inulin functions as a natural "regulator," keeping the appropriate amount of good bacteria at optimal levels in order to maintain a healthy digestive system.
3. Promotes hair growth and reduces hair loss.
This is one of the most unique and yet overlooked uses for onion juice.
If you look at the findings of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, 35 million US men and 21 million US women are experiencing hair loss.(5)
And according to health.com, there are 21 reasons for losing your hair.(6)
It doesn’t mean you have hair loss problem if you lose 50 to 100 hairs a day. This is normal. But if you lose more than this, you need to take it seriously.
In some cases, losing even more than 50 to 100 hairs a day is common. And this normally occurs in people who have gone through any of the following conditions.
- Excessive weight loss due to medications
- Given birth
- Stressed
- Had high fever
- Undergone an operation or radiation therapy
This is called hair shedding and stops within a few weeks or months.
Hair shedding is different from hair loss because it is normal and stops over the time.
However, with hair loss, hair growth stops due to weak hair follicles.
One of the many beneficial ingredients found in onions is sulfur, which is well-known for its ability to stimulate hair growth.
One study revealed that applying onion juice to the scalp twice a week for roughly two months can stimulate the follicles to promote hair growth.
Onion juice increases the circulation of blood to the scalp, and the sulfur found in the juice acts as an antibacterial and antifungal agent, which keeps the follicles clear and healthy enough to grow hair.
Also, the Department of Dermatology and Venereology conducted a study on the effectiveness of raw onion juice for spot baldness (Alopecia Areata) and the results have shown that the raw onion juice helps with hair regrowth.(7)(8)
Onions also have the important hair nourishing and thickening mineral silicon.
4. Remedy for the Common Cold and Other Respiratory issues.
Onion juice has been used for several centuries as a remedy for bronchitis and other respiratory ailments due to its anti-inflammatory properties.(9)
The anti-inflammatory properties of onions are due to quercetin and kaempferol, the flavonoids. These flavonoids inhibit functions of protein kinase and histamine; the possible causes of inflammation.(10)(11)
Also, the oil that is found in onion juice is a very potent expectorant, which enables it to loosen and dislodge stubborn mucous, as well as preventing new mucous from forming.
Raw onions, in particular, are commonly used to help combat the common cold.
5. Promotes healthy bones by maintaining bone density.
Do you care about your bones? You MUST.
If you have weaker bones, they are prone to osteoporosis (a condition in which bones become porous and thin). A bone that is porous and thin loses strength and is more susceptible to breaking.
How osteoporosis has impacted the population of Canada can be seen in the following report by the Osteoporosis Canada.(12)
The above statistics suggest that 30,000 Canadians suffer hip fractures every year and osteoporosis is responsible for 70% of them.
And at least 1 in 5 men and 1 in 3 women will suffer from an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime.
The condition in the U.S. is also prevalent and according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 54 million people age 50 or more are suffering from osteoporosis or low bone density.(13)
So the first thing that comes in our mind is how do onions help us get healthier bones?
Onions contain a glutamyl peptide, GPCS ( γ-Glutamyl-propenyl-cysteine sulfoxide) that inhibits the loss of bone minerals including calcium.(14)(15)
Also, the Medical University of South Carolina carried out a study on the effects of consuming onions on bone density of peri-menopausal and post-menopausal women of age 50 or older and the results suggest that consuming onions regularly increases bone density.(16)
Onions are also good for bone health due to their silicon content.
This is particularly useful for aging women who commonly suffer from osteoporosis.
6. Promotes healthy and vibrant skin that enhances your look.
Onions also nourish your skin and make it beautiful because of the following effects.
Onion juice promotes optimal blood circulation within our skin's tissue, which prevents toxins and pollutants from stagnating and forming infections.
In addition, raw onions have often been used as a poultice to treat boils, wounds, and various skin inflammations.
Onions have quercetin, vitamin A, C, and E that are powerful antioxidants and skin nourishing nutrients.
These nutrients help to reduce the effects of harmful UV rays on the skin and prevent premature ageing.(17)
7. A natural remedy to keep your cholesterol under control.
Can you lower your total cholesterol levels by consuming onions every day?
It may seem suspicious to many but the answer is yes.
This is a good alternative for those who don’t want to take cholesterol lowering drugs but do want to lower cholesterol naturally by diet.
Cholesterol (or lipid) is important for the proper functioning of our body, but if there is a higher level than normal in our body, it becomes a threat.
Proteins carry cholesterol in our body and when both combine, it is called lipo-protein. There are two main types of lipo-protein in our blood.
1. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or good cholesterol; higher levels of HDL are considered good.
2. LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or bad cholesterol; higher levels of it are considered unhealthy because it builds up on arteries and restrict proper flow of blood.
According to the CDC, 73.5 million U.S. adults have higher levels of LDL in their blood.(18)
Higher LDL values are responsible for many life threatening diseases like heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis, blood clot, etc.
Onions have long been known for their ability to lower cholesterol buildup due to the chromium, Vitamin B and sulfur compounds that are found in rich supply in this essential vegetable.
Dr. David Williams, a medical researcher, biochemist and chiropractor recommends eating half a raw onion every day to keep your HDL cholesterol at a healthy level and prevent blood-clotting.(19)
Also, the findings of research published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2009 prove that onions reduce LDL cholesterol and systolic blood pressure in overweight people. This is due to quercetin, an antioxidant found in onions.(20)
A study by Food and Function on male hamsters also reveals that onions are useful in lowering the total cholesterol levels.(21)
The ingredients in onions help to lower the body's homocysteine levels, which are often a threat to cardiovascular health.
8. Helps to maintain a healthy blood glucose level.
If you have higher blood sugar levels, your health is at risk.
Elevated blood glucose levels are responsible for developing diabetes. According to statistics, over 150 million people worldwide are suffering from diabetes.(22)
This serious health condition is also responsible for other critical complications, e.g. hypertension, vision problems or blindness, kidney diseases, strokes and cardiovascular diseases.
Do you know that diabetes was responsible for 44% of new cases of kidney failures in 2011?(23)
And heart attack rates were 1.8 times higher in people diagnosed with diabetes than those who were not diagnosed with diabetes.
The only way to prevent this tragic health condition is to have a normal blood glucose level which you can achieve this if you eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
Incorporating onions into your daily diet is an added benefit because they are also good at keeping your glucose levels at normal levels.
There are many reasons that suggest eating onions (non-starchy or low carbohydrate vegetable) is good for keeping your glucose levels under control.(24)
1. It is low in carbohydrates. And carbohydrates have a significant impact in raising blood sugar levels.(25)
2. Onion juice contains trace amounts of chromium, which helps to improve the body's glucose tolerance level.(26)
3. The allyl propyl disulfide found in onion juice is also a key contributor to the body's ability to maintain proper blood sugar levels, as it helps to prevent unhealthy spikes and drops in blood glucose.
4. A 100 gram serving of onions can give you 7.5 mg of vitamin C (12% of our daily required values for a 2,000 calories diet). And one study suggests that vitamin C has a significant impact in reducing the risk of diabetes.(27)
5. This study also proves the positive effects of onions on hypoglycemic effects in patients with type-1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.(28)
9. Anti-Cancer Agent.
According to Cancer Research UK, there are over 200 types of cancers.(29)
Therefore, to mitigate your risk, you may include onions in your diet because onions are replete with a variety of sulfides, all of which offer anti-carcinogenic properties.
Consuming onion juice on a regular basis will help reduce the risk of a variety of cancers.
10. Promotes Oral Health.
Whatever your age is, oral health should be a priority. But it is always taken for granted.(30)
If you take care of your oral health, your overall health will be on track. Why?
Because oral diseases increase your risk of diabetes, heart diseases, and stroke.(31)
But, onions favour oral health for their antibacterial properties, which are particularly effective in fighting tooth decay and other oral infections.
One recent study revealed that chewing a raw onion for roughly three minutes would effectively kill all of the germs and bacteria in the mouth. Onions have been traditionally used as a remedy for toothaches as well.
Conclusion
Nobody really wants to eat whole onions daily to cure or prevent the above conditions. But a healthy diet should include them, especially after you have just read about the benefits they have.
What do you think about this? Have you anything to share about onions? Please leave us a message in the comments.
Article Updated On: 18.12.2017
