Raw Onion is Good for Weight Loss
Drinking onion skin tea regularly can help you shed extra pounds of excess body fat.
The journal Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine reported that onion peel tea prevents obesity and can suppress increase in body weight. Scientists reported that consuming foods rich in flavonoids are essential for weight management, and onions are one of the richest sources of flavonoids in the human diet.
Researchers concluded that onion skin tea has the potential to treat, prevent, and manage obesity.
Other studies on onion extracts have found that they help to regulate blood glucose levels and lower body weight.
To use onion skin tea for weight loss, make an infusion by steeping the skins from one onion in a cup of hot water. Drink 1 or 2 times a day to help boost the effects of your weight-loss program.
If you don’t like the taste of onion skin tea, find out how to make delicious ginger tea to help burn belly fat.
Onions Contain Antimicrobial Properties
Many of the health benefits of onions are due to the fact that they contain antimicrobial properties that kill various types of germs and bacteria.
Research published in 2016 found that onions have an antibacterial effect because they contain flavonoids and phenolic acid compounds. Researchers found that red onion, green onion, and white onion help to kill off various strains of bacteria including Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA).
Other studies have demonstrated that onions contain anthocyanins and quercetin that have a range of health benefits including antibiotic effects.
In 2018, the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules reported that onions are a functional food with antioxidant actions. Onions also contain polysaccharides that have an antimicrobial effect and potential application in the medical industry.
There is also evidence to suggest that onions are effective against oral bacteria that cause gum disease. However, cooking onions seemed to lower their antibacterial activity.
Onions Promote Healthy Digestion
Onions contain beneficial compounds that are good for your digestive system. In fact, consuming onions could help to prevent Clostridium difficile-related diarrhea (a bacteria that causes inflammation of the colon).
Onions contain a type of dietary fiber called oligofructose. A randomized controlled study on the effects of oligofructose on the digestive system found that it has a prebiotic effect. Consuming oligofructose helped to prevent recurring diarrhea that was associated with C. diff infections.
The Journal of Nutrition reports that onions contain about 25% of oligofructose and inulin which are types of plant-based fiber. Onions are only second to wheat as being a naturally occurring source of inulin and oligofructose.
If you feel your digestion isn’t working properly, there are many ways you can improve your digestive health and keep your bowels working properly.
Onions Boost Your Immune System
Eating raw vegetables like onions is good for you because they help to strengthen your immunity and help your body resist infection.
Scientific research has found that allium vegetables like onion and garlic help to improve the body’s immune system. Onion extracts help to increase white blood cell count which is an essential factor in your immune system. Scientists reported that onion (Allium cepa) has “immune boosting capabilities.”
Other studies have found that antioxidants in onions such as quercetin help to improve immunity and increase cells that strengthen the immune system (cytokines). There are 25 different flavonoids in onions that all have an important role in boosting the body’s immune status.
Find out about 10 steps that can boost your immunity today. You can also prepare at home this wonderful health tonic which combines some of nature’s most potent plants, including onion, and brings them together in a powerful concoction. It is 100% natural and works as an anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-parasitic and anti-fungal substance.
Raw Onions Have Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Consuming onions every day in your diet can also help reduce inflammatory responses in your body.
Although short-term inflammation is necessary to fight off infections, long-term inflammation can lead to chronic disease like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
A medical journal on immunology reported that sulfur-rich compounds in onions help to inhibit inflammation.
Other studies on the anti-inflammatory effect of consuming onions have found that onions can help protect liver health when consumed as part of a healthy diet.
Did you know that onions are just one of the many foods that reduce inflammation in the body?
Onions Can Help Regulate Blood Glucose Levels
Adding more onions to your diet is good if you have diabetes because onions help to regulate blood glucose spikes after eating.
One study found that supplementing the diet with onions had a blood glucose-lowering effect. Onions extracts reduced fasting blood glucose in people with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
The results of other medical trials have found that onion extracts lower blood glucose levels after a meal. The lowering effect may be due to delaying absorption of glucose through inhibition of the enzyme sucrase in the intestinal tract.
If you have type 2 diabetes, find out about other foods that can help to regulate blood glucose levels.
Onions Help to Strengthen Bones
Compounds in onions like antioxidants and flavonoids can also protect bone health and prevent the development of brittle bones later in life.
The journal Menopause reported that consuming onions can help increase bone density in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Reports indicate that women who frequently consume onions can lower their risk of hip fracture by more than 20%.
One study found that consuming onion powder helps to inhibit breakdown of tissue in bones and prevent bone density loss. These are 2 conditions which can lead to osteoporosis.
You can also prevent bone loss if you drink onion juice every day. The journal Food & Function found that people who consumed 100 ml of onion juice daily can help to increase bone mineral density. Drinking onion juice increases antioxidants and reduces the number of free radicals that can result in bone damage.
Further reading: 4 natural ways to prevent osteoporosis in later life.
Red Onions Can Improve Male Prostate Health
Consuming onions has many benefits for men because flavonoids in red onions help to prevent certain prostate problems.
One trial involving rats found that red onion extracts had a protective effect against prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).
Clinical trials on adult men have also found that consuming onions help protect prostate health. In fact, it has been shown that men who daily consume more than 10 grams of Allium vegetables such as onions have a significantly lower risk of prostate cancer.
If you are a man, find out how to spot the first signs of prostate cancer, as early detection decreases the risk of complications of cancer.
Onions Have Anticancer Properties
Onions are an extremely rich source of beneficial antioxidants that have potential use in cancer treatments.
A review of studies on onion and garlic intake and their role in reducing the risk of cancer found that Allium vegetables have an anticancer effect. High consumption of onions is associated with decreased risk of developing cancer. Onion has a protective effect against stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, and prostate cancer.
