Allium cepa

Anticancer, cardioprotective, antidiabetic,  prevents osteoporosis

Originally from East Asia, the onion is today one of the most widely cultivated and used of all vegetables. In some regions, especially in India, it is virtually a staple food and is regularly used in quantities that far exceed those typically seen in Western cooking. Onions also appear in the pharmacopeias of many traditional medical systems, in which, among other uses, they are valued as antiseptics and treatments for colds and flu. Sharing many properties with their close relative, garlic, onions can also assist in the prevention of several chronic diseases.

Important Phytochemicals

Antioxidants: Allicin, alliin, caffeic acid, catechol, coumaric acid, diallyl trisulfide, ferulic acid, fumaric acid, glutathione, isoquercitrin, isorhamnetin, kaempferol, lutein, melatonin, oleanolic acid, protocatechuic acid, pyrocatechol, quercetin, rutin, salicylates, sinapic acid, spiraeoside, vanillic acid

Others: Benzyl isothiocyanate, cepene, diallyl sulphide

Medicinal Properties

Cancer
Studies suggest that the regular consumption of onions can significantly lower the incidence of lung cancer. The processes underlying this effect are not yet clear but may involve the phytochemical quercetin, a flavonol that is known to provide protection against a variety of cancer types.

Cardiovascular Disease and Blood Lipids
Like garlic, onion’s cardioprotective effects are multifaceted. Acting against each of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, onions lower cholesterol and high blood pressure, and reduce platelet stickiness.

Diabetes
When administered in high doses, onion extracts can match the effectiveness of some of the modern antidiabetic drugs in the control of mild diabetes. This suggests that in normal culinary quantities onions can help prevent the onset of this disease.

Osteoporosis
Onions stimulate a rise in bone mineral content and have been shown to increase bone thickness by up to 15 percent. A loss of bone density is often associated with a fall in estrogen and deficiency of this hormone is a major causative factor of osteoporosis in women. Interestingly, even in the presence of low levels of estrogen, onions continue to be effective and can reduce bone loss by up to 25 percent.