“O”nion « Health Now, Wealth Forever

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By Gary, on April 8th, 2013

If “M” is for Mullein (Tea) and “N” is for Nutmeg then

 “O” is for Onion

 

The lowly, common-place onion will surprise you with the numerous health benefits contained within it.  It is very easy to use in your cooking and food preparation.  It can be sliced, diced, sauteed, boiled, added to soups, added to casseroles, eaten raw, and added as topping to main dishes, etc.

There are several varieties of the onion, but all are beneficial to your health and beneficial to your cooking.

 

The onion remains ready to help you in many different healthy ways.  So – what are they?

Basic nutrients found in onions:

  • Low in calories (a 1/2 cup serving has only 30 calories)
  • Fat free
  • Sodium free
  • High in vitamin C
  • High in vitamin B6
  • Contains fiber
  • Contains protein
  • Contains iron
  • Contains other essential nutrients.

Other very important benefits:

The onion is the richest dietary source of quercitin.

  • Lowers Blood Pressure
  • Fights Asthma
  • Thins the Blood
  • Controls Hay Fever
  • Fights Diabetes
  • Fights Atherosclerosis
  • Fights Infections
  • Fights Stomach Cancers
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antibiotic
  • Antiviral
  • Sedative

 You don’t need to eat loads of onions to achieve these effects. In fact, studies show that you can reap the health benefits of onions by eating just one medium onion, raw or cooked, a day.

Detoxify

  • Contains Organic Sulfur Compounds
  • Contains Amino Acids (methionine and cystine)
  • Removes Arsenic, Mercury, Cadmium, and Lead

 So increasing your consumption of onions can help your body to get rid of these harmful metals.

 Improve Circulation

  •  Boost beneficial HDL cholesterol
  • Thin the blood
  • Retard blood clotting
  • Lower total blood cholesterol
  • Lower triglycerides
  • Lower blood pressure

Antioxidants

  • Fights Cancer
  • Reduces DNA damage
  • Reduces tumor cells
  • Fights Leukemia

Other

  • Significant blood sugar-lowering action, even comparable to some prescription drugs
  • Increases the life span of insulin
  • Treats asthma
  • Reduces bronchial muscle spasm – relaxing bronchial muscle
  • Destroys many disease-causing pathogens, including E. coli and salmonella.

 Last but not least:

From Lynley Kempthorne:

“Chop up a raw onion and cover it with honey (manuka honey is even better) and let it stand for four or five hours. It makes an excellent cough syrup and is wonderfully soothing for an inflamed throat.”

References:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/4697-need-health-benefits-onions/#ixzz2PtcDNlBY

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/knowhow/glossary/onion/

1http://www.foods-healing-power.com/health-benefits-of-onions.html