HUMBLE ONION

[PhilFreeToAsk]

I thought I would recap my links about prebiotics and osteoporosis and. The time to address osteoporosis is not when it happens but years earlier. Our sedentary lifestyle, over-medication, lack of weight bearing exercise and eating habits all can contribute to problems later in life.

So here it is for the HUMBLE ONION. I know some people cannot tolerate it but for those of us that can we should not undervalue it. There has been 2 posts that I have responded to showing that it appears to be a prebiotic to grow good gut bacteria livestrong.com/slideshow/10... and slows down bone loss ( osteopenia3.com/Food-for-bo... ).

Or this extract from The Guardian: “Onions are particularly rich sources of sulphur compounds and antioxidant flavonoids, such as quercetin, which protects us against cell damage. Some research suggests that quercetin's anti-histamine effect can help ease symptoms of asthma and allergies. Onions are also one of the richest sources of chromium, a metal which increases the action of insulin, and may therefore help control blood sugar levels.” theguardian.com/lifeandstyl...

So next time you cook, maybe you should think about how you can incorporate onions into your meals.

[Zest]

Hi Phil,

This looks really interesting, I will hope to read your links later today. I really like onions, and tend to put them in most of my recipes and meals. I love red ones and white ones - they are so versatile.

Zest

[Hidden]

i read somewhere on YouTube that red onion was higher in antioxidants then the white ...i never ùsed to buy red..but now i buy red for eating and white for cooking.. also i read that most of the good things in onions are in the the first few layers...so now i only peel of the dry skin...

in this part of the world its the red onion that you see the most so its a little bit cheaper than the white...☺

[benwl in reply to Hidden]

I read that too about red onions being better, also red cabbage rather than white.

I always eat the red ones now.

the idea is that a darker or more colored variety of any vegetable suggests a higher level of nutrients as its these that often give them their color

[PhilFreeToAsk in reply to benwl]

The Guardian link mentions this too that onions contain more antioxidants are near the skin. That makes sense to me as the plant needs to protect its outer layer from damage more than the inner. My guess is that antioxidants are present in lesser amounts in the whole onion as it does not seem to oxidise when cut and left.

The antioxidant is not the only benefit as one of the links mentions amma-glutamyl and silicon to help with bone health and chromium for blood sugar. So when I eat my onion this evening I shall be thanking it for all the goodness it is giving me. But above all, what a wonderful vegetable to add to soups, stews and curries.

[BadHare]

There are few savoury dishes that onions aren't essential, or will enhance. Even better that they're healthy as well as tasty!

All allium veg are good for us, though I have to cook them thoroughly to avoid indigestion. I get leek cravings in winter, though my soups often have onions & spring onions in, too.