“In the onion is strength; and a garden without it lacks flavor.
The onion, in it’s satin wrappings, is among the most beautiful of vegetables; and it is the only one that represents the essence of things. It can almost be said to have a soul.”
Charles Dudley Warner (American writer and friend of Mark Twain) I like onions. I grew up eating them, primarily as a result of having an onion-eating mother. My Mom would eat raw onions with everything. She would slice them like an apple, and eat them with every meal. I often did, and still do, the same thing.
The older I get, the more I find myself adding onions to much of what I eat. Homemade vegetable soup is better with one or two onions added to the pot. Salads seem to come alive with plenty of red onion slices. Even the lowly hotdog, staple food in backyards and ballparks across the country, becomes a taste sensation when topped with plenty of chopped onions.
While eating onions on a regular basis can, in some cases, impede your social agenda, I have recently learned that they are an amazing superfood. It is a good idea to eat onions every day.
Onions offer tremendous health benefits, containing chro mium, biotin, folate, calcium, iron, dietary fiber, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. They are low in calories, have no fat or cholesterol, and have been shown to lower blood sugar and foster weight loss. Onions have been linked to the prevention of cancer and dementia. Known to fight disease, onions contain beneficial natural compounds, including organosulfur and fla vonoids like quercetin.
Onions are said to contribute to weight loss and have been found to have an anti-obesity effect, helping to reduce body fat, especially abdominal visceral fat.
Onions can help improve cardiovascular health by suppress- ing inflammation, regulating cholesterol, and potentially lowering blood pressure. Research shows that onions have better cardio-protective effects than red wine.
Onions have been linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The quercetin in onion combats oxidative stress associated with neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease. Onions also are believed to reduce depression and enhance memory.
Researchers in Japan have linked a natural compound in onions called Onion A (ONA) with anti-caner effects. ONA can inhibit the progression of ovarian cancer. ONA is also said to impair tumor de-velopment an metastasization. Daily consumption of onions helps prevent osteoporosis by contributing to higher bone density.
Onions have been linked to improved eye health, increased hair growth, and improved sleep quality. Onions can boost your immune system and help protect your liver. Eating onions daily can lower blood sugar and promote a healthy respiratory system. Onions protect your reproductive system, improve skin health, and raw onions especially have been shown to reduce in- flammation in all parts of your body.
When using onions, try to use as much of the outer layer as possible. Analysis has shown that the outermost layers contain a higher concentration of antioxidant compounds than the middle and inner layers.
All types of onions are good for you, red, yellow, and white, so eat whatever you prefer. Red onions do have a higher antioxidant content, so are considered the healthiest option. Red onions also add color to foods, so are often the choice for use in salads. Standard yellow onions are more pungent. These are especially good for cooking. In most grocery stores and produce depart- ments you will also find "sweet" yellow onions. These are good for sandwiches, and eating raw. White onions are the most pungent, and are the best choice when making homemade salsa. When using onions in cooking, lower heat is best. The health benefits are best preserved when onions are not overcooked.
When you are healthy and when you are sick, onions should be your go to food! Let’s eat more onions…
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