What Are Onions?
Onions are vegetables that belong to the genus allium and are closely related to garlic, shallots, and leeks. The average person consumes roughly 20 pounds of this pungent and versatile food per year, eating onions raw, cooked, pickled, or powdered.
Many well-known cuisines throughout the world include raw onions in their dishes to provide flavour and crunch but you’ll be surprised to learn that raw onions are incredibly nourishing for our bodies and offer a plethora of health advantages.
Have you ever wondered why onions are so popular in India? No matter how fancy a restaurant gets, one can always find some onions soaked in vinegar on the menu, and Indians prefer to eat a lot of raw onions in their salads in addition to adding onions to their cuisine.
Yes, onions are crisp and really tasty. They are also frequently used as a vegetable garnish on streetside appetisers for just this reason. However, the majority of people would be shocked to learn that onions are famous for more reasons than simply their flavour and crunch. When eaten in moderation, raw onions provide several health benefits.
Types Of Onions
You can choose from a variety of onions, including yellow, red, white, and green onions (also called scallions) and shallots.
Red Onions
All types of onions are good for you, but this dark reddish-purple variety, sometimes called purple onion, has especially high levels of quercetin and other helpful plant compounds known as flavonoids. Flavonoids give many fruits, vegetables, and flowers their colours
Red onions have a mild, sweet taste and add colour and flavour to many dishes. Use them raw as a crunchy addition to salads, sandwiches, and salsa.
Yellow Onions
Try cooking these strongly flavoured yellow-brown onions to tame their sharp taste. Sautéing, roasting, grilling, or caramelising them brings out their sweetness.
White Onions
White onions are milder than yellow onions. Dice them to use raw in guacamole and as a garnish for tacos, or slice them to use as a pizza topping.
Shallots
These small, sweet onions have a subtle flavor with just a hint of garlic. Dice them finely to use in vinaigrettes, salads, and other dishes in which you’d like a mild onion flavour.
Scallions/Green Onions
These long, slender onions are often thinly sliced and used raw. Try them as a garnish for soups, baked potatoes, stir-fry, and other dishes to add a dash of color and a mild onion taste.
Health Benefits Of Raw Onions
Scientists have linked onions to many possible health benefits.
The following are the reasons why you should add raw onions to your diet:
Loaded With Antioxidants:
2019 saw the publication of research in the Journal of Food Science and Technology that identified a wide range of physiologically active phenolic chemicals found in raw onions, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and cepaenes.
The body uses an abundance of phenolic chemicals to combat free radicals and stave off illnesses like cancer. These polyphenolic chemicals also aid in the defence against several cardiovascular issues as well as diabetes.
May Have Anti-Cancer Properties
Onions have anti-cancer properties on the body, according to a 2004 study that was published in the British Journal of Cancer. Constantly eating these veggies can aid in preventing prostate cancer from ever developing. Onions are also a good source of flavonoids and antioxidants, such as quercetin and fisetin, which can help slow the growth of aggressive tumours and protect the body.
Regulates Blood Sugar
The body’s ability to control blood sugar levels can also be assisted by onions. 84 individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes showed a substantial drop in blood sugar levels following the consumption of 100 grams of raw onions, according to a 2010 study published in Environment Health Insights.
Promotes Digestive Health
Because of their high fibre content, raw onions are excellent for digestion. Aside from this, raw onions are a fantastic source of probiotics that aid in the easier breakdown of food in the stomach. Raw onions provide antimicrobial properties that also have a prebiotic effect on the stomach, hence offering many digestive advantages, according to the US National Library of Medicine. Significant effects, including improved immunity and fewer stomach issues, may be observed.
Antibacterial Properties
The body may benefit from the many vitamins, minerals, and phenolic chemicals found in onion extracts by means of their antimicrobial properties. Onions have antibacterial properties that assist in preventing digestive problems and lessen stomach bacterial development, according to the US National Library of Medicine. It may be helpful for someone to consider eating raw onions with their meals if they are continuously dealing with the issue of bacterial development in the stomach and stomach ulcers.
Bone Health:
Onions may play a role in preventing osteoporosis, a condition that weakens your bones. One study in people near or past menopause found that those who ate onions daily had greater bone density, resulting in stronger bones.
Lowers Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease
One study found that a long-term diet high in flavonoids decreases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
What About Onions For Hair?
Some people use onion juice as a home remedy for hair loss, dandruff, itchy scalp, and other hair-related problems. But research on any possible benefits is scarce. One small study found a possible benefit in people who lost hair due to an immune disorder called alopecia areata. In that study, people who washed their hair with onion juice grew more hair than those who washed it with water.
Onion Water
Some people swear by drinking onion water to fight cold and flu symptoms. The idea may be that if onions can fight off inflammation and kill bacteria and viruses (at least in test tubes), onion water is a good way to get a potent dose. But there’s no research to back up that idea.
Onion water–made by chopping up peeled, clean onions and letting them sit in water for a while–probably won’t hurt you. In fact, it may have the benefits of other waters infused with fruits, vegetables, or herbs: if you drink more liquid than you would otherwise, it can help keep you hydrated. But keep in mind that infused water will contain less fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients than the food it’s made from. Also, you need to refrigerate it if you don’t drink it all at once.
Side Effects:
Eating onions, especially raw onions, can have a few side effects, including: Gas and bloating. The same substances in onions that feed the healthy bacteria in your gut can be hard for some people to tolerate. Onions are among foods that sometimes cause trouble for people with irritable bowel syndrome.
Changes In Body odour.
When your body breaks down the sulfur compounds found in onions, they can react to sweat on your skin, creating what is generally considered to be an unpleasant body odour. And, of course, they can also cause bad breath.
Food Poisoning. Health authorities in the U.S. have traced several outbreaks of salmonella and other bacteria to whole and diced onions. Outbreaks like these have been rare in onions, because their papery outer skin can protect against contamination, and the drying process that prepares onions for the market further decreases the chances of the growth of bacteria. To reduce risks further, keep cut onions
Reducing Onion Tears
Wondering why cutting onions makes you cry? When you pierce an onion, it releases sulfur compounds that can irritate your eyes and cause tearing.
To prevent tearing up while you’re cutting onions, try:
Chilling them for 30 minutes beforehand
Leaving the root end attached while you cut (It has the most sulfur compounds)
Wearing onion goggles, available from online retailers. Opening a window or using your cooking vent to clear the air
Using spring onions and sweet onions, such as Vidalias. They are less likely to cause irritation.