Eat a raw onion every day if you want to beat the summer blues. We’ve all heard of this. After all, over the years our moms, nanis, and dadis have ensured onions find a place in our wholesome plate of salad. And let’s not deny the fact that even the most delicious of foods don’t taste all that good if they aren’t complemented with sliced onion and green chutney.
But apart from making our taste buds tingle, onion plays a major role in keeping our health in check.
Onions have a plethora of health benefits to offer
Sodium, potassium, folates, vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus… these are just some of the nutrients that onions have. In fact, the humble onion is a superfood. And it has these 10 amazing health benefits to offer:
1. Onion helps in improving heart health
Onions are a rich source of flavonoids and thiosulfinates. What do these do exactly? Well, the flavonoids in onion help in reducing bad cholesterol in your body and thiosulfinates are known to keep the consistency of the blood right, much like a blood thinner. Due to this, the risk of heart attack and stroke reduces by many folds.
A report by the Cambridge University Press also says that the flavonoids present in red onions help lower the levels of LDL or bad cholesterol.
2. It can give you healthy bones
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), just one onion contains 25.3 mg of calcium. Calcium equals strong bones, so adding this veggie to your salad can build you build better bone health.
3. It improves immunity
Everything revolves around immunity these days. The antioxidants present in onions can help you strengthen that too. According to a study published in the journal of Mediators of Inflammation, onion’s chemical composition is so strong that it helps in immune enhancement and has anti-cancer properties too. Now that’s huge!
4. It is great for those with respiratory problems
Onion is an anti-allergen and in most cases, allergies play a major role in giving us respiratory problems. According to a study published in the journal, DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, eating onion has a relaxing effect on the muscles of the isolated trachea which helps the patients of asthma breathe easily. This happens due to the presence of flavonoids.
5. Onions can give you good vision
Conjunctivitis during this time of the year is very common. The selenium in onion helps in the production of vitamin E, which in turn keeps this painful eye problem at bay. In fact, sone natural eye drops also contain extracts of onion juice.
6. It can improve your oral health too
Who would have thought right? Many of us avoid eating onions because of the bad breath it leaves us with. But turns out, this bulb is good oral hygiene, thanks to its vitamin C content.
7. It improves sexual health
In case your partner is dealing with erectile dysfunction then make him eat onions because according to a study published in the journal Biomolecules, it can help in correcting that. The study also says that it also helps in increasing the level of testosterone in men.
8. It can give you glowing and ageless skin
Onions are packed with vitamin A, C, and K–and you need all of them for flawless skin. These vitamins not just help you get rid of pigmentation but protect you from harmful UV rays as well. Do you know that you can add a hint of onion juice in your face pack and apply it for supple and acne free skin?
9. It can bestow you with healthy hair
Although there is not much scientific evidence to prove this, many Ayurvedic hair products use onion juice for hair growth. Also, due to its antibacterial properties, onion helps in keeping dandruff and lice away from your scalp.
Yes, the road to envious hair does include regular massages with onion juice. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
10. Helps in easing menopause symptoms
According to a study published in the Journal of Breast Cancer, consuming raw onion helps in easing postmenopausal symptoms due to the presence of calcium.
