How does onions help the body

Crispy Cajun onion rings. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including BBC Good Food.

Jo Lewin is a registered nutritionist RNutr with the Association for Nutrition with a specialism in public health. All health content on bbcgoodfood. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider.

See our website terms and conditions for more information. Subscriber club Reader offers More Good Food. Sign in. Back to Recipes Pumpkin recipes Butternut squash See more. Back to Recipes Chicken slow cooker Veggie slow cooker See more. Back to Recipes Cheesecakes Cookies See more. Back to Recipes Family meals One-pot recipes See more. Back to Recipes Quick and healthy Quick vegetarian See more. Back to Recipes Vegetable soups Healthy soups See more. This chemical is a compound liquid that acts as a lachrymatory agent, meaning that it causes tears or stings the eyes.

To reduce tears during chopping, the National Onion Association recommend chilling an onion for 30 minutes then cutting off its top. The person should then peel the outer layer of the onion and leave the root intact, as this part has the highest concentration of lachrymatory agents. Despite the tears that they can produce, onions can be a healthful addition to any eating plan. Here, learn more about the link between onions and tears. When selecting onions, people should look for those that are dry and firm with little or no scent before peeling.

Including onion in a dish is a great way to boost the flavor without adding calories, fat, or sodium. Onions are a staple in many kitchens and complement most dishes. People can use raw chopped onion in a sandwich filling or as a salad topping.

This vegetable also makes a tasty addition to salsas and dips. Although onions make a great addition to a balanced, healthful diet, people should eat a variety of foods rather than concentrating on individual options.

Vanilla extract adds depth of flavor to recipes and baked goods, and substitutes can replace it in a pinch. Learn more about replacements for vanilla…. In this Honest Nutrition feature, we explore the practice of "clean eating," and why this concept has been a controversial one for researchers.

A recent study found several phthalates and other plasticizers in food items from leading fast-food chains, highlighting the need for more regulation. This article looks at the causes of postprandial somnolence, or food coma, and explains how people who often feel sleepy after eating can cope with…. Over-peel and you can end up with unwanted loss of flavonoids. An estimated billion pounds of onions are grown across the world every year and the vegetable is supposed to have been cultivated since years.

They are very popular in some cuisines in India, Chinese, Mexican etc. You may hate chopping them because of the tears, but there are some quick tips to take care of that too. Love it or hate it, onions play a pivotal role in the food culture of our country. And given the health benefits above, it is no surprise. Listen to the latest songs , only on JioSaavn. They all are helpful in maintaining good health and have anticancer and antimicrobial properties, according to the National Onion Association.

Partly because of their use in cooking around the world, onions are among the most significant sources of antioxidants in the human diet, according to a report in the journal Phytotherapy Research.

Their high levels of antioxidants give onions their distinctive sweetness and aroma. Amino acids are the basic building block for protein, and protein is used in virtually every vital function in the body.

Sulfides in onions contain necessary amino acids. Onions are low in calories 45 per serving , very low in sodium, and contain no fat or cholesterol. Furthermore, onions contain fiber and folic acid , a B vitamin that helps the body make healthy new cells.

Onions are healthy whether they're raw or cooked, though raw onions have higher levels of organic sulfur compounds that provide many benefits, according to the BBC. A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that there is a high concentration of flavonoids in the outer layers of onion flesh, so you'll want to be careful to remove as little of the edible part of the onion as possible when peeling it.

Here are the nutrition facts for onions, according to the U. Serving size : 1 medium onion 5. According to Jarzabkowski, onions encourage a healthy heart in many ways, including "lowering blood pressure and lowering heart attack risk. When platelets cluster, the risk for heart attack or stroke increases.

This research further supports a similar study in Thrombosis Research that focused on sulfurs in garlic. Furthermore, a animal study in the Journal of Hypertension demonstrated delayed or reduced onset of hypertension with sulfur intake. However, the authors said more research was needed to determine if this benefit might be found in humans. Recently, health researchers have noticed a relationship between messaging molecules called oxylipins and high cholesterol management.

A study in the journal Redox Biology found that consuming onions increases oxylipins that help regulate blood fat levels and levels of cholesterol. The quercetin in onions may also help prevent plaque buildup in the arteries, which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. But since most of the studies in this regard have focused on animals, more research is needed to understand the effects in humans.

Quercetin has been found to relax the airway muscles and may provide relief of asthma symptoms , according to a study in the American Journal of Physiology. Eliminating free radicals can help encourage a strong immune system. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the quercetin in onions also reduces allergic reactions by stopping your body from producing histamines, which are what make you sneeze, cry and itch if you're having an allergic reaction. A meta-analysis found that intake of allium vegetables, including onions, were associated with reduced gastric cancer risk.

Eating several servings of onions a day may help decrease the risk of oral and esophageal cancer. Quercetin may be a powerful anti-cancer agent, according to Jarzabkowski.