It is guessed that the eating of onions began long before writing and planned out agriculture. Another theory most of the researches have agreed with is that onions are one of the first cultivated foods and that it started at least 5,000 years ago. For example, there have been signs found that hint or show that onions had been grown in Egypt since 3500 B.C., in China as early the aforementioned 5,000 years ago, and there have noted in Sumerian writings going back to 2500 B.C. Today, onions are cultivated all over the world. They’re used for their taste, but they can do more than just spice up a meal. Keep reading to learn more about the history of onion and some onion health benefits.

Something that is truly interesting is that the Egyptians saw onions as a sacred food that showed eternity because of the how many rings the onion has. Onions were even buried with pharaohs and were shown on the walls of the pyramids in both the New and Old Kingdoms. Onions were even offered to the gods on alters. As a hope of finding immortality in the Afterlife, Ramses IV was buried in his tomb with small onions in his eye sockets.

The first signs of onions being used for medicine were in the sixth century B.C by people in India. They were not wrong in their findings. Now, onions are used all over the world for their health benefits. Here, you can learn how to use them in your own kitchen.

Quick Tips

Quite a few people try to avoid using onions other than in powdered form because of they make you cry. There are a couple of ways that you can stop from happening. You can just chew a piece of mint gum, or you can tear off a little chunk of a piece of bread and put it under your tongue.

Also, if you do not want to use the same kind of onion every day, there are a couple of different kinds of onions that you can use. Since they are all in the same family, they share a lot of the same properties while having some of their own. Some kinds of onion that you can look into are. yellow, sweet, red, white, green, leeks, chives, and shallots.

Onion Health Benefits

1. Cancer

Onions can help to fight off issues in the precancerous and in patients who have colon cancer. Combining the onion with turmeric can completely enhance the effects. The two plants working together can shrink down both the number and size of germs and other things in the precancerous that lead to problems and sometimes cancer in the colon and pre-cancerous.

 

2. Heart Disease

If you are not a fan of red wine, then onions might be your new best friend. It is known that red wine can lower blood pressure. Onions can do the same exact thing as well as keeping your arteries and elastic and stop them from hardening. Onions can do this because of the quercetin they contain.

 

3. Asthma

The quercetin that mentions not only leaves your heart healthy but can also help asthmatics to have an easier time. The quercetin is an antioxidant that calms inflammation and chemicals in the body that can cause allergic reactions. Because of the onion having the power to lessen inflammation and because of the antioxidants, it is believed that onions can also help to lessen the effects of asthma.

4. Diabetes

Diabetics have to watch the level of sugar in their blood. If you have trouble with high blood sugar levels, add onion to your diet. Onion has something called allyl propyl disulfide which has been found to raise the free insulin that your body can use. If you are not a fan of onions or can add onion powder or you can ever get an essential oil of onion that can work in the same way by simply using the oil for aromatherapy.

 

5. Oral Health

Remember the antioxidants that were mentioned? Those can also help to your mouth of the vast majority of germs that can build up in your mouth. So if your family has a history of bad oral health or if you just want an extra boost, chew on a small slice of onion for two or three minutes.

6. Anti-inflammatory

Onions can calm muscle cramps, asthma, and pain in the joints because of the anti-inflammatories that they are packed full of.

 

7. Digestion

Onion sounds like just about the best thing you could eat if you are having trouble with diarrhea or constipation. Onions have a kind of fiber that stop constipation while the same fiber stops or at lessons a couple types of diarrhea. On top of that, onions even have phytochemicals that kill free radicals and cure gastric ulcers.

 

8. Immune System

Garlic is the best-known food for building your immune system. Well, onions can do that too because of the antioxidants they contain. Onions can also help with allergies and allergic reactions because they stop the body from creative histamines. Histamines are the buggers that make your eyes water and itch and make you sneeze when you are suffering from allergies or are having an allergic reaction.

 

9. Bone Health

One of the issues that women have when going through menopause is usually the newly found brittle bones. As it turns out, onions can help to reduce that because they increase the bone density. So try adding onions to your daily diet if you are in menopause or around the age that it should be starting.

 

10. Lower Bad Cholesterol

Onion juice can lower the bad cholesterol in your body called LDL. Studies are still being done to see if the effects left by onion juice is real science or it is simply a placebo. Either way, if there is a chance of it lowering your LDL levels, why not have a little faith and give it a go?

 

11. Colds

There is a cure for colds, fevers, and allergies that have been used in India for quite a while. The mixture is very easy to make seeing as it takes two ingredients. You simply need onion juice and honey. The honey makes the taste of the onion more manageable while also having benefits of its own. The onion works because of the antioxidants and vitamin C, both of which are fantastic for killing bacteria.

12. Nosebleeds

Nosebleeds can be both messy and painful. Luckily, there is a simple way to stop them. You hold a small slice of onion under your nose and inhale the scent, it can stop the bleeding within a couple of seconds.

 

13. Cure Earaches and Ear Infections

Earaches and infections are never fun for anyone. You can try making your own kind of ear drop that should be able to help. This method has been used since the 19th century. Bake an onion in the oven at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes (it might take a longer for it to become soft if it is a rather large onion). Once you have the onion out, let it cool about and cut it in half before squeezing the juice into a smaller bowl. It is advised that you strain the juice before using a little dropper to place a couple drops in the troublesome ear.

 

14. Sleep

Onions have prebiotics and good bacteria. The prebiotics help to lessen stress and induce sleep. The good bacteria that was mentioned can help your body to digest faster and they give off a byproduct that helps you sleep while increasing the functions of your brain.

15. Cholera

The antibacterial properties in onions are even strong enough to fight off V. cholerae which is the microbe that causes cholera.

 

16. Improve Eye Health

Selenium supports vitamin E and vitamin E keeps the cells within your eyes strong, healthy, and protected. Onions also have sulfur in them which keep the lens of your health. Sulfur also increases the production of glutathione, a protein, and antioxidant. The glutathione protects your eyes from cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.

 

17. Energy

The fiber that keeps coming up is also good for keeping your energy levels up and level because it slows the digestion of food just a little bit. Also, the inulin in onions should not be overlooked because they also help to keep your energy levels good.

18. Prevent Blood Clots

Rutin is a compound that onions have. The rutin is what stops your blood from clotting. The rutin helps by blocking the enzyme that causes the clotting. Blood clots occur in the blood veins because there is too much fiber in the blood and it clots in the arteries because it is platelet-rich.

 

19. Virility

Not only does honey and onion juice help with fighting off colds and fevers, but it can also assist men in other ways. It helps men with erectile dysfunction and improves the sex drive.

20. Bug Bites and Stings

Being bitten or stung by a bee or other bug can really hurt and leave annoying and itchy bumps. The next time you get stung or bitten, take a small piece of onion and hold it onto the bite spot. This works because the anti-inflammation components in the onion stop the itching, burning, and swelling.   

 

It is important to note that too much of anything can do you harm rather than good. You do not want to eat too much onion because it can lead to heartburn, bloating, interference with blood thinning medications, and gas. It should also be noted that you should mindful of your food allergies. While it is not the most common thing, it is possible to have a food allergy to onions.

 

Sources

https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/amazing-health-benefits-of-onions/

https://food.ndtv.com/health/10-magical-benefits-of-onions-that-keep-the-doctor-away-1430441

https://www.health.com/nutrition/health-benefits-onions

https://www.livescience.com/45293-onion-nutrition.html

https://www.onions-usa.org/all-about-onions/history-of-onions

https://www.medicaldaily.com/health-benefits-onions-5-surprising-ways-onions-can-cleanse-your-body-eliminate-disease-295820