The Onion! Not The Satire Website.

      Either love them or hate them the onion is as healthy as they come. The onion packs a nutritious punch loaded with flavonoids like quercetin and polyphenols. Yes, I know you have never heard of these before, but before we dive in, they are also loaded with familiar allies like: vitamin c, manganese, molybdenum, vitamin B6, folate, potassium, and tryptomphan. Still confused with some of these elements let me elaborate on the unfamiliar ones.

       Let's rule some of the elements we do know out, we talked about the benefits of vitamin c in an earlier blog post. Potassium was a familiar friend when we talked about coconut water and avocados. Folate, which is also B9, goes along with B6 which are important in proper enzymatic function in the body and development of cells and tissues. Manganese and Molybdenum are elements of the periodic table. Molybdenum is attached to important enzymes in speeding up chemical reactions. Molybdenum is present in very small amounts in the body. It is involved in many important biological processes, possibly including development of the nervous system, waste processing in the kidneys, and energy production in cells.  Manganese pretty much does the same thing as Molybdenum with addition of formation of connective tissue, bones, blood clotting factors, and sex hormones. Manganese also plays a role in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption, and blood sugar regulation. Finally, tryptomphan is an amino acid, which are the building blocks of proteins. I know hard stuff to digest, and we have not even talked about what makes onions so cool.

     Flavonoids which are quercetin and polyphenols are food stuff chemicals that are important in fresh fruits and vegetables. Flavonoid, specifically give fruit and veggies their color. The color of the fruit or vegetable can tell you sometimes what flavonoids are present.  Flavonoids are very potent anti-oxidents and are strong topoisomerase inhibitors (decreases mutant DNA). The more flavonoids you eat the healthier you will be.

      Now that we are done will the boring chemical part let look at the global health benefits of the onion. The can serve cardiovascular benefits, there is evidence that onion's sulfur compounds may work in an anti-clotting capacity and help prevent the clumping together of blood platelet cells. There is also evidence showing that sulfur compounds in onion can lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, and also improve cell membrane function in red blood cells. Multiple studies show onion to be a food that provides protection for the heart and blood vessels when consumed in a diet that is rich in other vegetables and fruits.

      Onions can support bone and connective tissue which studies have shown that onions can help increase our bone density which is important to women of menopausal age who are experiencing loss of bone density. There is evidence that women who have passed the age of menopause may be able to lower their risk of hip fracture through frequent consumption of onions; frequent is being consumption on a daily basis.

Stay tuned for part two of "The Onion"