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Onion
- Fights Infections and improves
wound healing |
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| 1. Onion Facts |
2. Onion Types (Australia) |
3. Onion Nutritional
Value |
4. Onion Health Benefits
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Onion
Facts |
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One of the most
cultivated and widely used vegetables, the onion is
a member of the Amarylidaceae family.
The onions flesh or bulb is grown under ground and
is know for its high nutritional value and sought
after flavour. Used in more recipes that nearly every
other vegetable. |
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History and Origin
Many archaeologists, botanists, and food historians
believe onions originated in central Asia. Other
research suggests onions were first grown in Iran
and West Pakistan.
Most researchers agree the onion has been cultivated
for 5000 years or more. Since onions grew wild in
various regions, they were probably consumed for
thousands of years and domesticated simultaneously
all over the world. Onions may be one of the earliest
cultivated crops because they were less perishable
than other foods of the time, were transportable,
were easy to grow, and could be grown in a variety
of soils and climates. In addition, the onion was
useful for sustaining human life. Onions prevented
thirst and could be dried and preserved for later
consumption when food might be scarce.
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Types
of Onions (Australia) |
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| Types
of onions grown and sold in Australia |
• Brown Onion |
• Red Onion |
• White Onion |
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Brown Onion |
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This is the most
widely used Australian onion. Has a brown to
yellow completion with creamy white coloured
flesh. Has a strong pungent flavour that becomes
wonderfully sweet when cooked. |
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Choose firm, blemish-free
onions and avoid onions that have green shoots. |
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Red
Onion |
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Red onions have
purplish red skin with white flesh tinged with
red. They are often used in salads for their
colour and mild sweet flavour |
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They can be stored
3 to 4 months under ideal conditions. |
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White Onion |
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White onions are
the strongest in flavour after brown and red
onions. Onions Australia state that our consumers
on average buy less white and more brown and
red onions. |
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Onion Nutritional Value |
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Vegetables
" Onion
"
( Nutritional value )
Nutritional value per 100 g
Onions, cooked, boiled, drained,
without salt |
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Weight
of Vegetable - 1 cup = 210 g |
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Nutrient
( Proximate's ) |
Unit |
Value |
Daily
Value % |
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Energy |
kcal
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44 |
2.2% |
Protein |
g |
1.36 |
2.7% |
Total
lipid (fat) |
g |
0.19 |
0.2% |
Carbohydrate,
by difference |
g |
10.15 |
3.3% |
Fiber,
total dietary |
g |
1.4 |
5.6% |
Sugars,
total |
g |
4.73 |
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| Minerals |
Calcium,
Ca |
mg
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22 |
2.2% |
Iron,
Fe |
mg
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0.24 |
1.3% |
Magnesium,
Mg |
mg |
11 |
2.7% |
Phosphorus,
P |
mg |
35 |
3.5% |
Potassium,
K |
mg |
166 |
4.7% |
Sodium,
Na |
mg |
3 |
0.1% |
Zinc,
Zn |
mg |
0.21 |
1.4% |
Copper,
Cu |
mg |
0.067
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3.3% |
Manganese,
Mn |
mg |
0.153 |
7.6% |
Selenium,
Se |
µg |
0.6
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0.8% |
| Vitamins |
Vitamin
C, total ascorbic acid |
mg |
5.2 |
8.6% |
Thiamin
(B-1) |
mg |
0.042 |
2.8% |
Riboflavin
(B-2) |
mg |
0.023 |
1.3% |
Niacin
(B-3) |
mg |
0.165 |
0.8% |
Pantothenic
acid (B-5) |
mg |
0.113 |
1.1% |
Vitamin
B-6 |
mg |
0.129 |
6.4% |
Folate
(B-9) |
µg |
15 |
3.7% |
Vitamin
B-12 |
µg |
0.00 |
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Vitamin
A, IU |
IU |
2 |
0.04% |
Vitamin
E (alpha-tocopherol) |
mg |
0.02 |
0.06% |
Vitamin
D |
IU |
0 |
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Vitamin
K (phylloquinone) |
µg |
0.5 |
0.6% |
Lipids |
Saturated
Fatty Acids |
g |
0.031 |
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Monounsaturated
Fatty Acids |
g |
0.027 |
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Polyunsaturated
Fatty Acids |
g |
0.073 |
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Trans
Fatty Acids |
g |
0.000 |
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| Carotenoids |
Beta-Carotene |
µg |
1 |
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Lutein
+ zeaxanthin |
µg |
4 |
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Reference
Values are based on a 2,000 Calorie
Intake, for Adults and Children
4 or More Years of Age. Your daily
values may be higher or lower depending
on your calorie needs. |
Percentages
are roughly approximated using (RDA)
Recommended Dietary Allowances for
adults. Source: USDA
United States Department of Agriculture |
Reference
Values for Nutrition - FDA
U.S. Food and Drug Administration |
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Onion
Nutritional Value |
Onions
have many health benefits. The Allium
genus includes approximately 500
species |
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Onion
Health Benefits |
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Onions have many health
benefits. Add onion to your diet to reduce blood sugar
levels, maintain bone health, protect against allergies,
protect against infections, treat urinary disorders,
stimulate hair growth, fight cancer, promote gastrointestinal
health, give remedy to colds and influenza and to
promote good skin.
Onions are high in vitamin C, a good
source of fiber, and with only 45 calories per serving,
add abundant flavour to a wide variety of food. Onions
are sodium, fat, and cholesterol free, and provide
a number of other key nutrients.
Studies have shown that consumption
of onions may be beneficial for reduced risk of certain
diseases. Consumption of onions may prevent gastric
ulcers by scavenging free radicals and by preventing
growth of the ulcer-forming microorganism. |
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ONION |
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| REGULATES
BLOOD SUGER
(Chromium
and sulfur) |
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GOOD
FOR DIGESTION
(Fiber
called oligofructose) |
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| MAINTAINS
BONE HEALTH
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ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
(Onion sulfurs) |
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CANCER
(Quercetin and rich
in organosulfur)
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IMMUNE SYSTEM
(Polyphenols act as
antioxidants)
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| PROTECTS
FROM TOOTH DECAY
(Kills most germs in the mouth) |
PROTECTS
FROM HEART DISEASE
(Quercetin) |
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| POTENT
ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY
(Destroys
disease-causing pathogens) |
DETOX
YOUR BODY OF HEAVY METALS |
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HEALTH |
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Allium
vegetables in cancer prevention |
| The Allium genus
includes approximately 500 species. Commonly used
allium vegetables include garlic, onion, leeks, chives,
scallions which are used all over the world in different
delicacies. Some allium vegetables have been employed
for millenia in the traditional medical practice to
treat cardiovascular diseases. They have been shown
to have applications as antimicrobial, antithrombotic,
antitumor, hypolipidaemic, antiarthritic and hypoglycemic
agents. In recent years, extensive research has focused
on the anticarcinogenic potential of allium vegetables
and their constituents, viz., allylsulfides and flavonoids
(particularly quercetin which is present abundantly
in onion). Epidemiological studies have shown
that higher intake of allium products is associated
with reduced risk of several types of cancers. These
epidemiological findings are well correlated with
laboratory investigations. Organosulfur compounds
present in Allium vegetables, are considered to be
responsible for the beneficial effects of these herbs.
Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the
cancer-preventive effects of Allium vegetables and
related organosulfur compounds. These include inhibition
of mutagenesis, modulation of enzyme activities, inhibition
of DNA adduct formation, free-radical scavenging,
and effects on cell proliferation and tumor growth.
Although there is a large body of evidence supporting
these mechanisms, they are still speculative, and
further research is needed to support causality between
such properties and cancer-preventive activity in
experimental animals. This article reviews current
knowledge concerning allium vegetables and cancer
prevention.
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Regulates
blood sugar |
Onions – The high
sulfur and flavonoid content of onions which when
consumed at a level of 2 ounces per day by diabetics
caused a significant reduction in blood sugar. |
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Onions
can help prevent inflammation and maintain bone health |
Onions aren’t just
flavouring to your favorite dishes. They are low in
calories, have virtually no fat and are loaded with
healthful components that fight inflammation in arthritis
and related conditions. |
Onions are also
one of the richest sources of flavonoids – antioxidants
that mop up free radicals in your body’s cells before
they have a chance to cause harm. One flavonoid found
in onions, called quercetin, has been shown to inhibit
inflammation-causing leukotrienes, prostaglandins
and histamines in osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid
arthritis (RA), reduce heart disease risk by lowering
low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol
and help prevent the progression of cancer. |
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Help for inflammed
joints, heart disease and cancer aren’t the only benefits
neatly wrapped in an onion’s layers. One of its powerful
compounds may also give a boost to bones. Known as
GPCS for short, gamma-L-glutamyl-trans-S-1-propenyl-L-cysteine
sulfoxide was shown to inhibit the breakdown of bone
in a study published in the Journal of Agriculture
and Food Chemistry. Researchers at the University
of Berne, Switzerland, speculate that GPCS might work
the same way as alendronate (Fosamax), which is used
to treat osteoporosis and reverse corticosteroid-induced
bone loss. |
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Anti-bacterial
action of onion |
In this study, the
focus was on the antibacterial activity of onions.
This study researched the activities of onion extracts
on Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus,
the main causal bacteria for dental caries, and Porphyromonas
gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia, considered to
be the main causal bacteria of adult periodontitis.
The results showed that the onion extracts possess
an effect on all test bacterial strains (S.mutans
JC-2, S. sobrinus OMZ176, P. gingivalis ATCC 33277
and P. intermedia ATCC 25611), and the effects were
bactericidal against cultured and resting bacterial
cells. The activity of the onion extracts was stable
even after 48 hours in the culture medium. This result
suggests that no decomposition or volatility of onion
extracts occurred in the culture medium. The antibacterial
activity of onion extracts was not markedly influenced
by cysteine (10 mM) treatment. However, activity significantly
decreased with alkali treatment. Grated onion left
to stand at 37 degrees C for 48 hours did not show
antibacterial activity. Also, activity of steam treated
(100 degrees C, 10 min.) onion was not observed. Using
avicel plate by thin layer chromatography with the
solvent of n-butanol:acetic acid:water (3:3:1), the
main component of the substance (the substance which
developes colour with ninhydrin) was observed at an
Rf value of about 0.9. |
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Protect
from heart disease |
Onions contain quercetin,
a flavonoid (one category of antioxidant compounds).
Antioxidants are compounds that help delay or slow
the oxidative damage to cells and tissue of the body.
Studies have indicated that quercetin helps to eliminate
free radicals in the body, to inhibit low-density
lipoprotein oxidation (an important reaction in the
atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease), to protect
and regenerate vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant),
and to inactivate the harmful effects of chelate metal
ions. |
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References
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Nutrient Database
- USDA
(United States Department of Agriculture) |
Reference Values
for Nutrition - FDA
U.S. Food and Drug Administration |
Types of varieties
of onions - Onions
Australia (Founded in 1966 as the Australian Onion
Coordinating Committee). |
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Nutritional Value
of onions - USDA
United States Department of Agriculture |
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| Foods That Lower
Blood Sugar |
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For
More Information |
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