Sunday, November 13, 2011

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF RED ONIONS. THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF ONIONS

RED ONIONS
The common onion group includes both shallots and potato onions.
For all varieties of onions, the more phenols and flavonoids they contain, the more their antioxidant and anticancer properties.
In general, the most pungent onions delivered many times more health benefits than their milder cousins.
Shallots have the most antioxidant activity, followed by Western Yellow, pungent yellow, Northern Red, Mexico etc. The milder-tasting cultivars with less cancer fighting abilities are 'Western White,' 'Peruvian Sweet,' 'Empire Sweet etc.
Eye irritation can happen when peeling onions, due to it’s gas that reaches the eyes. This can be avoided by cutting onions under running water or submerged in a basin of water. 
Another way is do not cut off the root of the onion (or do it last), as the root has a higher concentration of enzymes.  
Chilling or freezing onions before cutting, prevents the enzymes from activating, so lesser gas is generated. Use a sharp knife to chop onions will limit the cell damage and lessen eye irritation.

Health Benefits of Red Onions: Sulfur Compounds
One group of chemicals responsible for the health benefits of red onions are the chemicals that produce the odors of onions ( sulfur-containing allyl propyl disulphides). These sulfur compounds may help reduce the risk of heart diseases and the risk of head and neck cancers.
Health Benefits of Red Onions: Flavonoids
Flavonoids, prevent oxidative damage that can lead to cancer and heart disease. The most important flavonoid in onions is known as quercetin- a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant, that may prevent the growth of certain types of tumors.
Quercetin also has natural anti-histamine properties which may make onions somewhat effective against allergy symptoms. 
All onions have quercetin, but red onions have the most. Red onions, over its paler counterparts, are lower in calories and fat.
Onions are extremely helpful in fighting chronic pain and inflammation.
Quercetin, inhibits the inflammation present in “Osteoarthritis” and “Rheumatoid Arthritis”. Onions destroy the bad “osteoclats”, which break down bones.
Onions flavonoid acts much like Fosamax. Fosamax is a very successful bone strengthener drug, but, it’s beneficial effects gradually disappear if the drug is discontinued.  (excerpts only-  wiki and yahoo contributors)

57 comments:

  1. This blog is informative. I like, I like....

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  2. Interesting and useful information. Its good to eat onion rings from Burger King:) I didn't know potato onion existed.

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  3. Thank you so much for this great info on Onions. I love them but I did not know much about their health benefits. It is such a pleasure to read your posts always, so many interesting things to learn and share.
    Have a lovely day!

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  4. Great info on onions...Informative post...

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  5. thanks u very much for sharing information about onions

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  6. I love onions!
    The red ones... Yummy!!!

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  7. Good to know benefits of every-day-food. Onions are so common around the World...

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  8. Lovely info dear ..loved reading through!

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  9. No kitchen is complete without a red onion. They may make you cry, but they're on your side when it comes to taste and health. Red onions can be used in so many recipes that you'll probably find yourself buying them regularly. Onions are full of nutrients that will give a boost to your health.

    Blood-Sugar Level:

    The more red onion you eat, the lower your blood-sugar glucose levels will be. This is because of allyl propyl disulfide and chromium, both of which are are found in red onions.

    Gastrointestinal Health:

    If you are looking to lower your chances of colon cancer and related diseases, add red onions to your diet at least twice a week. Quercitin, one of the flavinoids found in onions, is known to be very beneficial to gastrointestinal health.

    Bones:

    A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that red onions are also beneficial to overall bone health. A compound known as GPCS is responsible for this, and it does so by inhibiting cells that break down bones.

    Antiinflammatory:

    Red onions reduce inflammation in the bones and throat, as well as in blood vessels. This reduces many of the symptoms of osteoporosis, asthma and even the common cold.

    Cardiovascular Health:

    The chromium and vitamin B6 found in onions helps to increase cardiovascular health. Specifically, these compounds lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

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  10. cooking varieties (wan)November 13, 2011 at 2:39 PM

    @ ken chew- thanks, nice knowing you. will visit
    @creative mind and
    @ three cookies
    @ marie harmony--
    many thanks for coming over with sweet comments.
    onions are an important and healthy ingredient in cooking.. goo to know their benefits :)

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  11. @ reshmi, thanks dear
    @ santosh, how are you
    @ anaLuiza, ooops! glad you came
    @ jasna- agree with you-versatile onions too
    @ julie- thanks dear, kind visit
    Thank you all, have a wonderful day and appreciate your kind visits.

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  12. I use so many onions in cooking.Great to hear I am on the right track:)

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  13. It was Cleopatra's beauty secrets planted these in her garden. Seems it helps clear pores and make skin glow!! hmmm

    Saw a photo of two Indian boys, peeling a sackful of onions using crash helmets to protect their eyes! haha (OpEd - Wonder India 11).

    I love onions, cooked or raw..even the tiny varieties from India, pickled are simply yummy..

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  14. what an informative post...nice reading it..!!

    Ms.Wan..please collect an award from my space :)

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  15. Hi Wan, thanks for sharing us the health benefit of onion,. This is very informative!:)

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  16. One of the fav ingredient into my cooking Maznah and so much of info on the benefits of using and eating onions.

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  17. thanks for these info.very useful...

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  18. Very nice and informative post. I love red onions and very rarely use yellow and white onions.

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  19. @dzoli- versatile onions, a very healthy ingredient

    @ katrina- cleopatra did? ok i want to do also- thanks for the tips
    crash helmet? ha ha ha that's so funny...

    @ sobha- thanks for your visit, kind thoughts and the award

    @ sagittarian- ok lets benefit from the vit C in onion like cleopatra did

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  20. @ nava- thanks for visiting- i sure like your mango curry, have a nice day

    @ babli- hi and thanks for your visit and i am glad to share these health benefits with you.

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  21. Thanks for the infos. It helps a lot. :)

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  22. very nice n informative post...good to know abt something u eat everyday :-)

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  23. wow lots are there...coming back after my holiday thez lot n ur blog to collct my missd posts...ths s informative

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  24. I love onions but didn't know so much about it until I read this post of yours. Great info and thanks for sharing.

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  25. my cooking recipe won't be complete without onions..but not too much because it may make me smell like onions wahahaha..ewwwwww ;)

    thank you for the info. Wan..is this a health site hehehe ;)

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  26. @ balqis, thanks for that and for visiting :)

    @ Only fish recipes- hi, how have you been doing, will pop over

    @ Nisha- thanks nisha, catch up later

    @ quay poh- thanks for your visit and sweet comment. love your rack of lamb

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  27. @ Sie- hi, how are you - you do have lots of humor as always. glad you visited.have a happy week

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  28. Hi wan,s elamat hari raya, eid mubarak! did you have a good one? Sorry for the delay, as you know this moving is tedious;-) but we managed to celebrate it in malaysia this time!! I love those medical facts you wrote here about onions, better keep slicing them tho with watered eyes:-)

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  29. @ Pari- many thanks for your visit. will blog walk overou

    @ hi dr jehanne- glad you came by. are you in msia still or in uk? will blog over soonest thanks for giving medical opinion to this post.

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  30. I Really love onions. I used to eat them raw in my childhood by sprinkling some lemon juice on them :)

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  31. Known ingredient and unknown fact. Thanks Wan for sharing. I mostly peel the skin and dip into water quickly and then cut them. This also reduces the water from eyes. :-)

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  32. hi raksha, many thanks for your visit and the valuable tip. will try your way too

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  33. hi uma, thanks for visiting and yes, i sure try your way of doing it, to avoid hurting my eyes.

    hi anu thsnks for coming and the sweet comments, all the best in your "parsley"

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  34. Hello Wan, all I know about onions is banish the onion from the kitchen and the pleasure flies with it.
    Its presence lends color and enchantment to the most modest dish; its absence reduces the rarest delicacy to hopeless insipidity, and dinner to despair.

    "And, most dear actors, eat no onions or garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath; and I do not doubt but to hear them say, it is a sweet comedy. No more words: Away! Go, away"!
    A Midsummer Night’s Dream: act 4, scene 2.

    And life is like an onion. You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes we cry.

    You have a nice day, and keep a song in your heart.
    Lee.

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  35. Yeah, the good ol' onions! I used to hate them so much, as they just seem to smell and taste so weird (well, it seems that way when I was a kid).
    Then I noticed that they add tastes and flavors to a dish!:)
    Oh ya, there was this once when my Mummy bought some onions which the seller told her was from India. Boy, when she started cutting them in the kitchen, the whole household started to cry! (literally!)
    We just felt irritation in our eyes even though we were sitting in the hall; and I tell you, these onions are a feisty lot as they tasted really really spicy in the dish my mum used to cook them with! :)

    Love your informative article on onions!:D

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  36. hi Lee, a midsummers night dream! wow! many thanks lee for your kind visit and sweet adorable comments :) cant be happier to note the way you praise the onions and benefits. i never thought that you would likened life and it's cries to "the peeling of an onion"..

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  37. hi Christy, that's quite an experience, where the whole house got raided by onion gas, yet that is the part that is healthiest to eat. agree with you that they are a fiesty lot. many thanks for your visit and sweet comments

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  38. Wan - that's GREAT information! I had no idea onions were so healthy...and I just love them! I also didn't realize there was a caloric difference in the types of onions! As always - great info!

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  39. hi ann, glad you found that there are caloric differences between onion varieties.. may be you can share the details with us some day. happy surfing. many thanks for your visit and sweet comments.

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  40. I love to use onion in my cooking. Very interesting and useful post dear.

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  41. @ chandrani- thanks for visitng and the sweet comments- have a nice day

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  42. So red onions are better than other onions?

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  43. Adding onion to the dish really makes the difference, more you add, the tastier it becomes. Thanks for this useful post dear...

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  44. hi alessandra- thanks for your visit, yes, red onions are better nutritionally than the milder white ones

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  45. hi treat and tricks..many thanks for visiting, i always welcome you here and thank you too for liking this post. have a nice day dear

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  46. hi sonia- many thanks for visiting and the comment, glad you enjoyed reading this.

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  47. I like how your photo actually has the onion looking red instead of purple. Pretty!

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  48. hi yummy chunklet, my photo is really on red onion. i have never seen purple onions before, that would be very pretty as well. thanks for coming dear.

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  49. despite the "onion breath" factor, I love onions..fresh salad, burger topping and a must with soft tacos.

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  50. hi syed, thanks for your visit and comments- still with your favorite burger huh.. your blogs keep multiplying? :)

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  51. Very useful post!Onion=eliminator of toxins
    Every day I cook with onion or chives or garlic ... taste of food is much better and beneficial for our health is invaluable..
    h
    Have a nice day:)

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  52. Congratulation Wan on your new logo. It is very nice. You have shared a new knowlege coz I havent read about red onion. We use onions but they are change in shape. We have used 2 types one ordinary asian and another type which is small in size.

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  53. Onions are very useful in cooking and within maintaining required chemicals to at there required level. Doctors in Turkey Vegetational foods are also necessary to reduce the bad health chances.

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  54. Very useful post, a nice job. You have a nice blog, do visit mine when time permits www.sensibleveg.com

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