Onions: Health Benefits and Nutritional Facts

Onion is a very common vegetable that is found most frequently in not only Indian dishes but various continental dishes as well. Onions not only help to enhance the tastes of different types of dishes but also aid in providing health benefits. Onions are rich in various types of essential nutrients that can be important for maintaining good health and ensuring healthy functioning of the body.

Onions are usually available in the market in different variations - there are shallots, leeks, white onions, and so on. There are a good number of health benefits that one can derive from onions- some of the most common of them include improving your heart health, reducing the risks of cancer, controlling high blood sugar levels, and many more.

So, before you start including onions in your daily diet, read the article till the end to have a detailed idea of what are the essential nutrients that are present in onions, how they can be beneficial for your health, and other essential details about onions and your health benefits.

Nutritional Content of Onions

Onions are rich in various types of vital nutrients, the most important of which include high amounts of essential vitamins and minerals, that is, micro-nutrients that are necessary for your overall health. Some of the major health outcomes of having onions can include the following:

• strengthen gut health
• reduce inflammation
• ensuring healthy cardiac functioning
• strengthening your immune system
• reducing the risks of diseases
• enhance digestion.

The most important vitamins that are present in onions include vitamin B6, C, and the major minerals that are present in onions include selenium, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and so on. Moreover, onions are also rich in organic compounds are key ingredients like quercetin, sulphuric compounds, along with dietary fiber which make them so important to be included in your daily diet. So, many dietitians and health care professionals advise their patients to take in onions in their daily diet.

Health Benefits of Onions

1. Onions help to care for your heart health

Heart diseases are some of the most health problems that are known to occur among people. Onions on the other hand, are rich in components that can help to reduce the risks of developing heart diseases by controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Thus, this can significantly lower down the risks of having various types of cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack, cardiac arrest, stroke, and so on.

Alongside these, the health extracts of onions also help to reduce the levels of triglycerides that can help the heart to be in a better functioning condition. The quercetin that is present in onions also aid in controlling conditions such as hypertension and polycystic ovary syndromes among people.

2. Onions prevent the risks of cancer

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases that can happen to people, and if not detected in due time, can also become life-threatening. It is mostly due to this reason that many nutritionists and health care experts advise their patients to take in onions in their daily diet because onions help to reduce the risks of developing cancer due to their highly beneficial anti-carcinogenic properties.

Many doctors often suggest onions and garlic to be taken regularly to prevent the risks of stomach and Colo-rectal cancers.

Moreover, the sulfur-containing compounds in onions can be highly beneficial, especially for women, who have higher risks of developing ovarian cancer.

3. Onions are the best for regulating blood sugar levels

Those people who are known to suffer from chronic conditions such high levels of blood sugar or type 2 diabetes are often advised to take in onions to keep the diabetes within control.

In fact, the health extracts in onions can be beneficial for the health of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients as well. One of the most crucial and the most health beneficial component that is present in onion, that is quercetin, helps in balancing the blood sugar levels in the entire body by regulating the conditions of the cells in different organs such as the pancreas, fat tissues, skeletal muscles, small intestine, and so on.

4. Onions help to control your blood pressure levels

As onions are known to take good care of your heart, they will also help in better circulation of the blood throughout the body. It is mostly due to this reason, that other than having medicines, many doctors recommend their patients to take in onions in their daily diet to reduce the risks of cardiac problems that can develop as a result of spikes in blood pressure levels.

5. Onions are helpful for brain health

Brain health is a major concern and thus to maintain healthy functioning of the brain, doctors often advise patients to have onions. This is because onions are rich in vital vitamins and minerals that help to ensure the healthy functioning of the brain. Apart from this, the powerful antioxidants that are present in onions are known to help in removing some of the most harmful types of toxic components that are present in the brain and flush them out of the body, which therefore helps to keep the brain in a healthy condition.

One should also have onions because these vegetables are rich in sulfur-compound in onions, such as di-n-propyl trisulfide, which helps to improve your memory and reduces the risks of memory impairment and lowers the risks of developing age-related memory loss. The health-beneficial components and the natural extracts in onions can also help to cure conditions like dizziness, vertigo, epilepsy, and other related neurological conditions.

6. Onions consist of high antibacterial properties

The antibacterial components in onions are often beneficial in reducing the risks of various types of infections developing in your body, so onions are a must-have in your daily diet. Moreover, it is known that the extracts of quercetin that are present in onions may also reduce bacterial growth in the body. The natural extracts in onions also help to reduce the risks of stomach ulcers and certain digestive cancers which can result from the development of bacteria in the digestive system. Other than these, the anti-bacterial properties of onions can help fight bacterial infections caused by E. coli, bacillus bacteria, and other harmful species of bacteria.

7. Onions are rich in antioxidants

Onions are loaded with some of the most vital antioxidants that are needed for your body. Many healthcare professionals often suggest their patients to take in onions because the immense amounts of antioxidants that are present in onions will help them to reduce the risks of developing diseases. Antioxidants like flavonoids that are present in onions will help to strengthen the overall immune system of a person and fight the functions of some disease-causing free radicals and thus reducing the chances of having chronic conditions. Moreover, many nutritionists and health care experts are suggesting that having more anthocyanin-rich foods like onions in their daily diet can significantly help to lower the risk of heart disease and death from heart diseases.

8. Onions help boost your bone density

The health extracts in onions are proven to improve bone density, especially among aged people who have tendencies of low bone densities. The minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and potassium that are present in onions help in improving overall bone health and boosts the bone density. This can significantly help to reduce the risks of developing various types of orthopedic problems and diseases related to bone joints such as arthritis, osteoporosis, bone damage, and so on. This becomes particularly beneficial among postmenopausal women, because the minerals that are present in onions are extremely beneficial for their overall bone health.

9. Onions can aid in improving digestion

If you think that your digestive health is not functioning properly, then apart from taking medicines, a healthy and natural way of improving your health can be by taking in onions every day in your regular meals. The health extracts that are present in onions are highly beneficial in improving your gut system, which will ensure proper movement of bowels through the gastrointestinal tract, and in the end, you will have better digestion. Other than these, onions are rich in nutrients that can help to keep your intestines healthy which will eventually help in reducing various types of health problems related to the digestive system.

10. Onions are good for the health of your hair

Onions consist of essential natural extracts that will not only help to keep your hair healthy but will also help to get rid of hair loss. As it is already known, the antibacterial properties of onions help to improve the condition of your hair and proliferates its growth. Moreover, the sulphur-containing compounds and antioxidants that are present in onions also help to prevent the thinning and breakage of hair along with premature greying. Many hair care experts recommend to apply onion musks or pulp directly on the hair to prevent dandruff and increase hair growth.