The first thing that pops into many people’s head when they hear the word ‘onions’ is onion rings. Savory 1 inch thick slices, drenched in smooth batter and fried to crisp perfection are nothing short of amazing.
From onion rings to onion tea.
Onion rings make a perfect side to sandwiches and burgers but are just as tasty on their own, especially when served with honey mustard or BBQ sauce. But other than that, there aren’t many foods to create with onions alone. We have onion soup, pickled onions and that’s about it. But as a featured ingredient, there’s no limit as to how many recipes you can spruce up.
From grilled cheese with jalapenos & onions to frittatas, cheddar & caramelized onions quesadillas, and fancy meat dishes with cinnamon onions, the sky’s the limit. But there’s more to this vegetable than onion rings and oodles of taste.
Onions as natural remedies
If most people are used to cooking meals with onions, fewer people know that doctors recommend this vegetable in the form of tea. Boiling onions and consuming the resulting broth can ward off the flu and relieve common flu symptoms. In fact, onions have been used as natural remedies since thousands of years ago.
- Ancient Greeks peeled off the papery layers, cut the onion in half or quarters and rubbed it on sore muscles to relieve muscle pain.
- Native Americans treated stings with wild onion and also used the vegetable to treat and keep the flu at bay.
- In Chinese medicine, onions have long been used to treat nasal congestion.
Even in our modern times, onions are credited with being very effective as a disinfectant. It is commonly believed that raw sliced onions can absorb germs in the air.
Onion’s health benefits
Onions contain flavonoids, and a bigger concentration of these is found in the outer layers of the vegetable’s flesh, which is why nutritionists recommend peeling off as little of the fleshy part as possible to retain the majority of the pigments.
- Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants, extremely beneficial to the immune system. They have been associated with cancer prevention mostly, but also with cardiovascular disease prevention and neurodegenerative diseases prevention.
High in Polyphenol content (this including flavonoids and tannins but also other beneficial compounds), onions provide anti-inflammatory support and promote circulatory health. When consumed on a daily basis, onions can also:
- Increase bone density.
- Lower risk of hip fracture.
- Improve blood sugar balance.
- Prevent bacterial infection
- Protect the skin and ward off UV damage.
- Prevent blood platelet cells from clumping together.
Probably the most relevant and important benefit in onion is that, unlike with other vegetables, when it’s cooked into a soup it does not lose some of the nutrients, in this case, quercetin.
- Quercetin is an important flavonoid that promotes cardiovascular health and fights free radical damage. It as well fights inflammation, viral infections, stomach ulcers, skin disorders, cognitive impairment, and atherosclerosis.
Nutrients found in one cup (approximately 210 grams) of chopped, cooked onions
- 27% DRV of Biotin;
- 16% DRV of Manganese;
- 16% DRV of Copper;
- 16% DRV of Vitamin B6;
- 15% DRV of Vitamin C;
- 12% DRV of Fiber;
- 11% DRV of Phosphorus;
- 10% DRV of Potassium;
- 8% DRV of Vitamin B1;
- 8% DRV of Folate.
Onions – Interesting Facts to Know
- Onions were found to date from 7,000 years ago.
- Workers who built Egyptian pyramids were often paid in onions.
- In ancient Egypt, onions were believed to possess magical power, and they were often placed in the tombs of kings.
- The biggest onion was harvested in 2011 and weighed little less than 18 pounds.
- New York City was once known as the Big Onion.