All You Need to Know About Onions

The onion has been used for thousands of years as one ingredient and spice. It is, in fact, considered as the second most important crop second to tomatoes. The onion comes in different varieties and included in these varieties are red onions, white onions, green onions and the yellow onion. Each one comes with its own unique flavor; a dish can become different if one type of onion is used. Onions can be eaten and used is so many ways; they can be eaten raw, fried, cooked, roasted or even dried. They are popular to use in dips, soups, salads and many dishes.

Onions can be used as spice, as a vegetable, as a medicine or as ornamentals even. As food or as food ingredient, the onion gives us a lot of health benefits.

Onions have a lot of medicinal effects and these can work whether they are used as food or as medicine preparation. They are used by early settlers to treat various conditions like coughs, asthma, colds and even used to repel insects. In Chinese medicine, they are even used to treat bacterial infections, breathing problems and angina. Onions are also known to help suppress the growth of bacteria in the colon because it encourages the growth of healthy bacteria named bifid bacteria. Thus, it is considered as a good protection against colon tumors.

Not only is the onion good for respiratory and colon care, it is also helpful in terms of cardiovascular health. This is because onions contain some sulphides that may lower blood pressure and the lipids found in the blood. This vegetable is also rich in flavonoids which are known to help prevent cardiovascular diseases. Also, the onion also contains anti-blood clotting agents, thus, can help prevent blood clotting in the arteries.

Studies also show that onion extracts provide a level of protection against the growth of tumors. Onions can work well against stomach cancer with the help of garlic and other allium herbs. The yellow and red onions particularly have high antioxidant content. This means that it also helps the body fight off the harmful free radicals that tend to attack healthy cells and tissues.

While onions can prove to be very healthy, they should be, like some vegetables and spices, be taken in the right amounts and in moderation. This is because consuming onions in extra large quantities can lead to gastrointestinal irritation and to stomach distress. If taken too much, then these conditions can lead to diarrhea and nausea. When used properly and in the right amounts, anyone can surely use the many health benefits offered by the onion. Be sure to include in dishes, soups, salads or even eat them raw. Time and experience have proven that the health benefits of onions outweigh the gastrointestinal discomforts if consumed too much.

Be sure to appreciate the onion not just because it makes your dishes tastier or simply because it adds zing to your meals but more so because it gives you a lot of health benefits that you cannot just get from other plan produce.

Jayda has been an online writer for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in health, finance, and product reviews, you can also check out her latest website on Nikon D80 SLR [http://d80slr.com] which reviews and lists the best Nikon SLR D80 [http://d80slr.com].

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