The onion is a product that for years has been used to season gastronomic dishes. However, beyond adding flavor to meals, it is a vegetable that offers health benefits, due to its antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties, among others.
It also has group B vitamins, which are necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous and immune systems, and vitamins E and C, rich in antioxidants that help prevent cell aging and degenerative diseases.
As for minerals, according to the aforementioned source, the onion is rich in potassium, calcium and phosphorus, while it has a high percentage of the trace element chromium and small amounts of sulfur, bromine, cobalt, copper, magnesium, silicon and zinc.
This food is also a source of phytochemicals, among which the flavonoid quercetin stands out. Cuerpo Mente ensures that this is an antioxidant, more powerful than vitamin E and provides anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and protective properties against diseases such as cancer.
In this line, information from the CancerQuest portal, an educational program at Emory University (United States), some flavonoids have antiproliferative properties, that is, they have the ability to stop cell growth.
This website cites a study conducted by researchers at the University of Guelph in which they concluded that some chemicals in these onions killed colon and breast cancer cells by stimulating cellular pathways that lead to apoptosis (cell death). Similarly, onion extracts inhibited the growth of this type of cells.
against diabetes
In the same way, this vegetable has benefits that help control blood sugar levels. The Gastrolan portal, from Mexico, cites information from the Institute of Social Security of the State of Mexico and Municipalities, which indicates that purple onion specifically helps regulate blood sugar by containing a sulfur compound called alil propyl disulfide, which increases the production of insulin in the body, allowing glucose control in people with diabetes.
“Each piece of this vegetable contains a substance called glucokinin, which is truly beneficial to combat diabetes since it is considered “vegetable insulin”, thanks to its properties”, indicates the aforementioned source.
On the other hand, it is said that the onion is good for circulation. According to a newspaper publication The vanguardfrom Spain, prevents the formation of blood clots, promotes blood circulation and helps combat diseases related to poor circulation.
is diuretic
Similarly, information from the well-being and health portal, Tua Saúde, indicates that thanks to its components, this vegetable would help lower LDL cholesterol, known as bad, and triglycerides, since it contains substances called saponins that reduce the risk of heart disease, such as atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries) or heart attacks.
The onion also acts as a bactericide. Due to its content in sulfur-rich compounds, like garlic, this vegetable is a recommended natural remedy to combat infectious processes of the respiratory system such as the flu, bronchitis and pharyngitis, among others. It has an expectorant action, so it helps to relieve phlegm and improve cough.
Finally, it is a food that favors digestion, by stimulating the liver, gallbladder and pancreas, although it should be avoided in cases of heartburn. The onion is capable of eliminating the toxins and ferments that are produced in the stomach after carrying out the digestive process, specifies the article The vanguard.