A humble kitchen staple, onion is the most widely cultivated and consumed vegetable. Not many know, but onion, which grows underground, is in fact the stem of the plant. The layers that grow to form the round bulb shape are modified leaves. There are different varieties of onions available in the market, white, sweet, yellow, red, shallots etc. Apart from being a good source of fibre, onions are known for their therapeutic properties that may help the body fight infections and diseases. Nutritional properties of onions include natural sugar, vitamins A, C and E, minerals such as sodium, potassium and iron. Onions are a good source of folic acid too.
White vs Red
White onion is known to have strength building properties. It is a little sweet, crunchy and pungent. It is soft, smooth, tender and may have sedative property too. Consumption of white onion can help cure TB, heart diseases and blood impurities. Red Onion on the other hand is best for eating raw. In Ayurveda, red onion is said to control vata dosha in the body. Consumption of red onion can cure intestinal worms, constipation and inflammations.
Fight Flu
Onions are known to fight common flu and certain bacterial infections. A simple meal of onion soup can help the patient recoup. Also, it helps in restoring the metabolism that weakens in infections like flu. Onion is said to have germs absorbing property and a half cut onion can be placed in the patient’s room. However, the cut onion has to be discarded once it starts loosing or changing colour.
Beat the heat
Due to their cooling property, onions help in absorbing the excessive heat present in our body. In olden days, people would slip a whole onion under the cap or turban to avoid heat strokes. Burning sensation on palm and feet, usually experienced during fever, can be brought down by application of grated onion. Rubbing a little onion juice behind the ears and on chest, can lower down body temperature. For therapeutic use, raw onion are much better than cooked ones.
Good for hair growth
Ignore the strong acrid smell and freely use the onion mask to gain those thick voluminous tresses. Squeeze out the juice from minced onion and rub this into the scalp. To avoid the smell, add few drops of lemon juice or rose water to it. Leave on for 15 mins and rinse with shampoo. High concentration of natural ground sulphur in onion activates hair growth, treats dandruff, keeps the scalp clean and controls scalp infections & hair loss. It is also known to restrict premature greying of hair.
Skin Friendly
Raw onion has strong anti-septic properties and can be used to treat acnes and pimples. Onion also has skin lightening property, and on application it will naturally bleach the skin and remove the dead skin layer. Mix a teaspoon of fresh onion juice to a teaspoon of gram flour and drop 1/2 teaspoon of milk cream in it. Your skin lightening pack is ready.
Good Fibre
Each medium sized onion provides around 1.9 grams of good fibre. Combine onions with other greens, cucumber, tomatoes and carrots to make a healthy salad. This good fibre, lowers cholesterol and maintains blood sugar balance. Onion is the richest dietary source of quercetin, a powerful antioxidant flavonoid, which helps absorption of vitamin C and controls disorders including cataracts, cardiovascular disease as well as cancer. Consumption of raw onion can prevent gastric ulcers by preventing growth of the ulcer forming microbes.
No Onion, No Cry! Cutting an onion often causes a stinging sensation in the eyes and uncontrollable tears. This happens due to release of syn-propanethial-S-oxide, an unstable gas which stimulates nerves in the eye creating a stinging sensation. And yet its health benefits are numerous. This is a versatile vegetable and deserves a special place in the kitchen.
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