Tears and bad breath-these are the two things usually associated with onion and garlic. But there is much more to these two popular vegetables, which are known not only for their unique flavours but also for their therapeutic benefits. Onion and garlic are guaranteed to transform any meal into a profoundly aromatic culinary experience. This book explores the hidden benefits of onion and garlic.
Onion is a vegetable cultivated in almost all the countries of the world and consumed across the globe. Except for a few communities, onion is used for cooking purposes by almost all the people. Not only does the vegetable lend an excellent taste to dishes, but is also associated with imparting a number of health benefits to its users. In fact, onions are said to have therapeutic, antibacterial, antifungal and loads of other beneficial properties.
Onions contain more than one hundred sulfur-containing compounds. These sulfur compounds are what cause the eyes to tear up when cutting onions. One particular sulfur compound has been found to prevent the biochemical chain of events that lead to asthma and respiratory ailments.
Using colon cancer cells treated with extracts from the 10 onion varieties and shallots that were tested, the Liu group found that pungent yelow and Western Yellow onion extracts provided the strongest anti-proliferation protection against colon cancer cells. The Western Yellow, shallots and pungent yellow extracts provided the strongest anti-proliferation protection against liver cancer cells.
Onions belong to the lily family, the same family as garlic, leeks, chives, scallions and shallots. In the ancient times the Greeks and Romans used onions for their medicinal value. They used Onions to treat headaches, snakebites, hair loss, infertility etc., Onion is being used for centuries not just to add flavor to foods but also for its therapeutic properties.
Experts believe that as little as two to three onions per week can have a significantly positive impact on health. And even better news, onions don't have to be eaten raw to maximise their health benefits - Quercetin is relatively stable while being cooked so retains all its powerful goodness to aid overall wellbeing.
Higher intakes of fruits and vegetables have been associated with a variety of health benefits. Research shows that onions may help guard against many chronic diseases. That's probably because onions contain generous amounts of a flavonoid called quercetin. Other sources are tea and apples, but research shows that absorption of quercetin from onions is twice that from tea and more than three times that from apples. Studies have shown that quercetin protects against cataracts, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
Blood Sugar-Lowering Effects
The higher the intake of onion, the lower the level of glucose found during oral or intravenous glucose tolerance tests. Experimental and clinical evidence suggests that allyl propyl disulfide is responsible for this effect and lowers blood sugar levels by increasing the amount of free insulin available. Allyl propyl disulfide does this by competing with insulin, which is also a disulphide, to occupy the sites in the liver where insulin is inactivated. This results is an increase in the amount of insulin available to usher glucose into cells causing a lowering of blood sugar.
Credit : peterhetch
No comments: