Onion is found in every kitchen, but its curative powers make it an important medicinal plant too. Like garlic, it is a member of the lily family. Studies have shown that they may help reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke, according to Victoria Jarzabkowski, a nutritionist with the Fitness Institute of Texas at the University of Texas at Austin in the United States (U.S).
Cancer
Quercetin may be a powerful anti-cancer agent, according to Jarzabkowski. The University of Maryland Medical Center said that quercetin may especially inhibit cancer cells in “breast, colon,prostate, ovarian, endometrial, and lung tumours.”
The National Onion Association said a recent study from the Netherlands showed that people who ate onions absorbed twice as much quercetin as those who drank tea, and more than three times as much quercetin as those who ate apples, which are other high quercetin sources. Red onions are espetocially high in quercetin, according to the association. Shallots and yellow onions are also good options. White onions contain the least amount of quercetin and other antioxidants.
Digestion
The fiber in onions promotes good digestion. Additionally, onions contain a special type of soluble fiber called oligofructose, which promotes good bacteria growth in the intestines. One 2005 study in ‘Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology’ found that oligofructose may help prevent and treat types of diarrhoea.
The phytochemicals in onions that scavenge free radicals may also reduce the risk of developing gastric ulcers, according to the National Onion Association.
