The Benefits Of Eating Onions

Latin Name : Allium cepa

Origin And General Information

Onions are native to Asia and The Middle East. Onion is the most cultivated species of the genus Allium and the cultivation goes back to over 5000 years.

Ancient Eygyptians not only used them as currency but worshipped them as they believed that onions gave eternal life. They placed onions in the tombs of Kings who died believing the dead would take them along to their after life..

There is a lot of folklore with respect to the placing of onions with the dead right from believing that the dead could come back to life to the onion being handy in the after life due to its many antiseptic qualities.

Onions find mention in ancient texts of the Romans, Greeks, Indians, Egyptians, Chinese, Sumerians and has mention even in The Bible ( Numbers 11:5 ).

Onions are primarily used as a food source, in cooking as the start off ingredient in Indian and other Asian cooking, in making onion soups and chutneys, raw in salads and as pickles in vinegar.

They are used in microscopic demonstrations in the laboratory in colleges as the onion cells are quite large even under low magnification and hence easier for study of the cell.

Onion skins have been used in dyeing.

Onions are used as odour remover, insect repeller, metal polisher to remove rust from metals, eliminator of new paint smell, as a smelling salt, for training one's pets etc.

In Ayurveda and herbal therapy, onions are being used for treatment of many ailments.

Onions are commonly available in the following varieties:

Yellow Onions

These are the sweetest in taste with golden coloured outer skins and pale yellow coloured inner flesh. They are the best for cooking. They are used in onion soups.

Red Onions

They are the most pungent of all the varieties having a red outer skin and red white inner flesh. They cannot be stored for a long time. They are used in salads and sandwiches in traditional cooking.

White Onions

They have white outer skins with the inner flesh too, being white. They are the mildest in flavour. They can be eaten raw or cooked. They are more used in Mexican cooking.

Green Onions/ Spring Onions

The green onions normally available are basically immature onions. They are also eaten raw.

Onions are rich in the strong sulphur containing compounds which are the primary cause of their strong smell and healing properties. They contain high levels of flavonoids particularly Quercetin which is also an anti oxidant. Onions are a good source of vitamins B6, C, biotin, K, folic acid, chromium, calcium and fiber.

Onions are more beneficical when eaten raw. Also when not cut nor dipped in water they maintain higher nutrient levels. However, cooked onions still retain sufficient nutrients to be beneficial to health.

Some of the many benefits of onions are listed below:

Remove worms, act as an antibiotic and have antiseptic properties.

Alleviate pains, inflammations and spasms.

Are diuretic, digestive, fungicidal, a tonic and a stimulant.

Lower cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease & stroke.

Protect against tumour growths and a wide range of cancers.

Prevents gastric ulcers, stimulates the peristaltic movement of the intestines, removes flatulence & indigestion.

Relieves respiratory problems like cough, cold, flu, bronchitis and remove phlegm.

Are antiallergenic, lower blood sugar levels, maintain strong bones,prevent anaemia and tooth decay and oral infections.

Make the blood thin and retard blood clotting.

In Insomnia

Drink juice of red onions whether they are raw, boiled or steamed. Take 4 tsp at night.

For Eyes

Regular use improves vision.

In Dog Bites

Crush onions finely. Add honey & apply on the bite. It removes the poison.
Also drink onion juice.

In Warts

Applying onion juice on warts destroys them.

To Increase Mother's Milk

Eat raw onion with meals.

In Fits

3 ounces of onion juice mixed with a little water taken eal\rly morning regularly relieves fits. Take this for atleast 40 days.

Making a person who is in a fit smell onion juice brings him back to conciousness.

In Heat Stroke/ Sunstroke

Apply onion juice to temples and chest and massage. Also drink onion juice. Eat raw onions daily with meals and keeping one in the pocket prevents sunstroke.

In Ear Problems

Putting 5-6 drops of warm onion juice in the ear gives relief from pain, pus and whistling sounds.

In Baldness

Apply onion juice and massage on the bald areas regularly. It is reported to grow new hair and stop hair loss.

In Digestion Problems

Onion consumption increases appetite and helps in digesting food. It also improves the functioning of liver and spleen, removes accumulated wind and relieves pain and bloating of stomach.
Heat an onion bulb in fire and take out its juice. Add some salt and drink for relief.

In Hiccups

Cut raw onion. Wash it with water. Add salt and eat. It relieves hiccups. Continue for few days.

In Constipation

Eat 1 raw onion everyday with food.

In Worms

1 tsp onion juice taken every 2 hours kills worms and relieves indigestion.

In Acidity

Mix 60 gms white onion cut in small pieces in 30 gms curd. Eat this 3 times daily for a week for relief.

In Dyspepsia

Cut red onion. Squeeze some lime juice on this and eat with meals for relief.
In children give 5 drops of onion juice to drink.

In Dysentery

In mucus & bloody stools, add 1 onion cut finely cut, to fresh curd made of cow's milk. Wash onion pieces in water before adding to curd.

In Diarrhoea

Grind onion and apply on the navel for control of loose motions.

In Nausea

Eat onion with a little salt.

In Jaundice

A. Cut onions in half and put in vinegar or lemon juice in a jar. Add some salt & black pepper to this. Eat 1 onion daily in morning & evening to get relief.

B. Take 1/2 cup juice of white onion. Add little jaggery & ground turmeric. Mix and drink in morning and evening.

In Bloody Piles

Add 50 gms sugar in 100 gms onion juice and drink.

In Urinary Problems

Put 50 gms onion pieces in 1 litre of water. Boil and strain this water. Add honey. Drink 3 times daily. it brings on urine without pain. It also relieves the problem of frequent urination and helps in bringing on urine in cases of retention of urine.

In cases of burning sensation during urination make the following:
Add 50 gms of finely cut onion to 1/2 litre water and boil till half the water remains. Drink this for relief.

For black hair

Grind onions and apply in hair. It turns hair black.

In Renal Stones

A. Add sugar to onion juice and make a syrup.drinking this breaks the stones and removes them.

B. Take 50 gms onion juice in the morning on empty stomach daily.It breaks the stones and removes them.

In Asthma

Crush onions and inhale the vapours for relief in cough, throat and respiratory diseases and lung affections..
Add honey to onion juice and lick this for relief in asthmatic cough.

In Gout

Massage a mixture of onion juice & mustard oil for relief.

In Abscess

In boils which are ripe and painful do the following:
Grind onions. Add turmeric, wheat flour, water, pure ghee and cook on fire for sometime. Make a poultice and tie it when warm on the boils. It opens up the boil and relieves.

In Headaches & Headaches Due To Sunstroke

Grind onions and apply on the soles of the feet.

In Cholera

A. Add mint juice to onion juice and take 1 tsp every 10 minutes.

B. A mixture of 1 part lemon juice, 1/2 part mint juice and 1/2 part onion juice when taken relieves.

C. Taking warm onion juice also helps.

Protection From Cholera

Take 25 ml onion juice, 1 cup water, juice of 1 lemon, little salt and black pepper powder and little ginger juice. Drink this 4 times a day.

To Protect Teeth

Eat raw onions. It kills harmful bacteria and stops bad breath.

To Protect Against Heart Failure

Researchers at The Royal Victoria Infirmary Institute, UK, have found that if one consumes a plateful of boiled or fried onion pieces in breakfast everyday, it helps in preventing heart attack. The onions prevent formation of blood clots in the coronary arteries.

For Increased Heartbeat & Heart Diseases

Eat 1 raw onion daily with food. Onion helps in regulating blood circulation.

In Intoxication

Onion juice consumption helps in reducing the effects of intoxicating drinks.

In Corns

Apply onion juice 3 times daily to soften corns. cut corns when soft.

As Strength Giver

Take 1 tsp onion juice mixed with 2 tsp honey daily.

For Snake Bite

Mix onion juice 15 ml with 15 ml mustard oil. make the person who is bitten drink this. This is one dose. Take 2 more doses like this , each after a gap of 30 minutes from the earlier dose. This removes the poison.

In Dropsy

Eating raw onion frequently during the day increases urine output & benefits.

In Cold & Cough

Eating raw onion relieves sneezing & running nose.

3 to 4 tsp of onion juice taken with honey in equal measure controls cold, cough & flu symptoms.

Also, Homeopathic medicine Allium cepa 30, 8 pills taken every 3 hours, 5 times a day, for about 2 days relieves frequent sneezing, watery running nose and shoe bite too.

In skin Diseases

Eating raw or cooked onions is beneficial in sick looking & pale skin. It improves the colour of the skin.

Tying a poultice made of warm roasted and crushed to pulp onions on boils which though ripe do not break open, will break open the boils and remove the pus. this will give relief and heal the skin and protect the wound against infections.

Washing of pus infected wounds with a solution made up of 1 part of onion juice & 4 parts of water and tying a bandage dipped in this solution on the wound, heals it.

In Nosebleed

Put onion juice in the affected nostril. It also prevents and relieves nose & throat infection.

In Tuberculosis

Onion juice inactivates the TB bacteria in the body. Eating raw onions has the same effect. Eating onions with salt is more beneficial.

In Anaemia

Onion juice or raw onions increases haemoglobin due to the high content of Iron in it. Eating onions improves strength.

In Bites By Poisonous Insects

Tying a poultice made of ground onions and eating raw onions with salt helps in cases of bites due to honey bees, poisonous insects, scorpions etc.

In Vomiting

Mix equal parts of onion juice and ginger juice. Take 2 tsp of this to stop vomiting.

In Toothaches & Gum Aches

Keep a piece of onion at the affected tooth for relief.

In Blood Disorders

Add 10 gms of candy sugar & 1 gm roasted white cumin seeds in 50 gms onion juice and drink.

Green Onion and Cheddar Biscuits

This onion recipe makes savory, buttery and flaky biscuit, perfect for any meal.

2 cups biscuit baking mix
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoon butter, melted
2 teaspoons dried parsley

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine biscuit baking mix, Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and green onions. Slowly stir in milk until all ingredients are just moist.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush biscuits with melted butter. Spinkle parsley on top of each biscuit. Return biscuits to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Source : www.backyard-vegetable-gardening.com

Warm Cheesy Sweet Onion Dip

This onion recipe makes a dip that's perfect for cocktail parties or tailgating

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups thinly sliced sweet yellow onions
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons hot sauce
Crackers or chips for dipping

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour onion mixture into a baking dish. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, Swiss cheese, pepper jack cheese, Parmesan cheese and hot sauce. Toss to combine.

Place in preheated oven and bake about 30 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Source : www.backyard-vegetable-gardening.com

How to prevent onions from making one cry

One can either chill the onions before cutting or you can try cutting onions under water though this is a not a very practical way.

The best way is to wet the hands, the onions and the knife with water first before you start chopping them. This way the sulphide gas that is released on cutting onions reacts with the water to form a very weak sulphuric acid and will not reach the eyes.
However making the hands, knife and onion wet might cause the grip to slip so be careful while you chop.

Another very effective way is to chew gum while cutting onions. It prevents burning and watering of eyes.

How to mask onion smell.

Oral smell

Mouth odour of onions can be masked by chewing some coriander, cardamon or parsley. You can also suck on some mint candy- the stronger, the better.

Smell from the hands

A very time tested way is to rub your hands on the edges of the kitchen sink. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water first. The science behind it is that the sulphides released while chopping onions react with the iron and other compounds in the stainless steel and remove these odour causing compounds from the hands.

In the fridge

To prevent leftover onion slices from making their presence felt all over in the fridge, it is always better to keep them in a plastic container or better still to wrap them in an aluminium foil or a cling wrap.

In the vegetables

To remove onion smell from cooked vegetables add a little sugar dissolves in water, in the cooked vegetables.

From utensils

To remove onion smell from utensils, wash them with warm water to which salt has been added.

Caution

Onion consumption may lead to bloating, headaches, gas etc in some people.

Protection against the harmful effects of onions

If onions are washed in salty water before they are used, a lot of the harmful effects are removed.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this hub is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your physician, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements.