You might think that there isn’t much to all of those onion layers you see when you peel one. But what you actually are looking at are layers of health benefits. At its essence, onions are aromatics that give flavor to various dishes that we eat every day. One thing you should pay attention to when peeling an onion for your food is not to over-peel it. Lots of nutrients the onion has are based in the outer layers. Also, crying while peeling onions also has its benefits, so you shouldn’t be afraid to release a tear while doing it. Here we are going to talk about the health benefits of onions. We have singled out these ten:
Top 10 Health Benefits of Onions
- Prevents Diabetes
- Maintains Healthy Skin
- Improves Immunity
- Prevents Cancer
- Relieves Stress
- Lowers Cholesterol
- Fights Inflammation
- Lowers Blood Pressure
- Improves Digestion
- Bolsters Bone Density
Prevents Diabetes
By consuming one onion a day, you will take in 27% of the needed biotin. Biotin impacts your body in many positive ways, with the most important, fighting off symptoms of type 2 diabetes. By combining biotin with chromium, you can keep your blood sugar levels in line and also decrease insulin resistance.
Maintains Healthy Skin
Another positive effect biotin has on our bodies is that it helps us maintain healthy skin. It also helps us treat brittle nails. It even prevents hair loss.
Improves Immunity
Onions help to keep our immune system healthy and active, because it contains lots of vitamin C and phytochemicals that improve the effectiveness of this vitamin.
Prevents Cancer
Onions contain both quercetin and other flavonoids, which are adept in fighting various types of cancers. These pigments contain potent antioxidants that are excellent in fighting free radicals that can cause cancer. If you didn’t know, free radicals are chemical compounds that cause cell death in our bodies. Because of its contents, onions are ideal for battling them.
Relieves Stress
Quercetin doesn’t only battle cancer, it can also relieve our body of stress. When we are under pressure, our body produces cortisol. Having normal doses of cortisol in our bodies is all right, but too much can cause muscle damage and protein breakdown. This is where eating onions comes in handy. By consuming onions, you will prevent cortisol release by blocking the enzyme that powers it. The next time you are under stress, be sure to have onions by your side.
Lowers Cholesterol
Onions are known to help in producing HDL, which is the good cholesterol. By having it in your body, you will be healthier.
Fights Inflammation
For those suffering from joint pain and arthritis, eating onions might be a good solution. But these are not the only cases of inflammation where onions can help. They are adept in fighting all types of chronic inflammation.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Onions can prevent blood platelets from collecting, because they are a natural blood thinner. This property of theirs comes from the high dose of sulfur that you can find in onions. In addition to lowering blood pressure, onions can also prevent the risk of heart attack or stroke. Onions can also prevent plaque buildup in arteries, because of the quercetin mentioned above.
Improves Digestion
If you want to have a healthy digestive system which works close to perfection, you need to eat a lot of foods rich in fiber. Onion is one of those foods. You can read more on the benefits of fiber here.
Bolsters Bone Density
If you are an older lady, you can bolster your bone density by consuming onions. According to one study, women in menopause who had onions as a part of their diet had a 20% lower chance of bone-related injuries.
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