Did you know about the major benefits of onions?

Introduction: Onion is a common vegetable in daily life with high nutritional value and remarkable effects, making it a "versatile hero" in the vegetable world. Follow the editor to discover the amazing benefits of onions.

Onions are rich in nutrients

Every 100 grams of onion contains 1.4g of protein, 0.2g of fat, 6.1g of carbohydrates, 0.9g of crude fiber, 0.5g of ash, 147mg of potassium, 24mg of calcium, 39mg of phosphorus, 0.8mg of iron, 0.23mg of zinc, 4.4mg of sodium, 15mg of magnesium, 0.14mg of manganese, 0.05mg of copper, 0.92μg of selenium, 0.02mg of carotene, 5mg of vitamin C, 0.03mg of vitamin B1, 0.03mg of vitamin B2, 0.3mg of niacin, 8mg of vitamin C, and 1356 kilojoules of energy.

Cold Onion Salad

N reasons to fall in love with onions

Reason 1: Bactericidal and anti-cold

Onions contain phytoncides such as allicin, which have strong bactericidal properties and can effectively resist influenza viruses and prevent colds. When these phytoncides are excreted through the respiratory tract, urinary tract, and sweat glands, they can stimulate the walls of these ducts to secrete, thus also having effects of expelling phlegm, promoting urination, inducing sweating, and inhibiting bacteria and preventing spoilage.

Spicy Stir-fried Squid with Onion

Reason 2: Promotes gastrointestinal motility and aids digestion

Onions containalliin, which has a rich aroma. The pungent smell often makes people cry when processed. This special smell can stimulate gastric acid secretion and increase appetite. Animal experiments have also shown that onions can increase gastrointestinal tension and promote gastrointestinal motility, thereby acting as an appetizer, and have a significant effect on loss of appetite caused by atrophic gastritis, insufficient gastric motility, and indigestion.

Onion and Mushroom Sausage Stir-fry

Reason 3: Cancer prevention

The anti-cancer effect of onions comes from its rich selenium and quercetin. Selenium is an antioxidant that can stimulate the human immune response, thereby inhibiting the division and growth of cancer cells, and at the same time can reduce the toxicity of carcinogens. Quercetin can inhibit the activity of cancer cells and stop their growth. A survey shows that people who often eat onions have a 25% lower chance of developing stomach cancer and a 30% lower chance of dying from it compared to those who don't.

Onion and Potato Pancakes

Reason 4: Lowers blood pressure

Onion is the only plant that contains prostaglandin A. It is the only known food source of prostaglandin A and a natural blood thinner. Prostaglandin A can dilate blood vessels and reduce blood viscosity, thereby lowering blood pressure, reducing peripheral vascular resistance, and increasing coronary blood flow, preventing thrombosis. It also counteracts the effects of blood pressure-raising substances in the body like catecholamines and promotes the excretion of sodium salts, thereby lowering blood pressure. Regular consumption has a health-preserving effect on patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Onion and Wood Ear Salad

Reason 5: Lowers blood sugar

Onions also have the effect of lowering blood sugar because they contain organic compounds similar to the blood sugar-lowering drug tolbutamide, and can produce isoquercitrin in the human body, which has a strong diuretic effect. Diabetic patients can eat 25-50g of onions per meal to effectively lower blood sugar and promote urination.

Deep-fried Onion Rings

Reason 6: Improves constipation

The sulfur components in onions combine with proteins or intestinal bacteria in the large intestine to form hydrogen sulfide, which can promote intestinal peristalsis. The rich soluble dietary fiber can stimulate the intestines, making movement more vigorous, and oligosaccharides can inhibit the proliferation of bad bacteria in the intestines, effectively improving the common constipation symptoms in women.

Onion and Carrot Stir-fried with Eggs