Onion and its relatives have long been known to man and are grown in different parts of the world for many centuries.

Onion is valued not only for its characteristic aroma, but also for medicinal properties, which are devoted to whole collections of folk recipes and scientific works.

Onions can vary in shape, size, color and flavor.

The most common red, yellow and white onions. According to rough estimates, the world annually collects 105 billion pounds of onions.

The potential benefits of onions for health have been actively studied for decades by scientists from different countries.

Some possible useful effects of onions include:.

• Reducing the risk of certain cancers.

• Hair and skin restoration.

• Mood Enhancement.

Nutritional information onions.

Onion is exceptionally rich in essential for the body substances such as vitamins, minerals and natural antioxidants, but contains few calories. One cup of onion contains approximately 64 kcal of energy, 15 g of carbohydrates, 0 g of fat, 0 g of cholesterol, 3 g of fiber, 7 g of sugar, 2 g of protein.

In addition, this portion contains 10% of the daily dose of vitamin C, a lot of vitamin B6 and manganese. In onions you can find a small amount of calcium, iron, folic acid, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, as well as antioxidants quercetin and sulfur.

Potential benefits of onions for health.

The consumption of fruits and vegetables of all kinds is associated with a reduction in the risk of many chronic diseases, including metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. A number of studies confirm that increased consumption of plant foods is the way to reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, myocardial infarction, and also to increase working capacity and prolong life.

What diseases can the onion affect?.

Oncological diseases Onions and other plants of his family are intensively studied for efficacy in cancer diseases, especially for stomach cancer and colorectal cancer (colon and rectum). These preventive effects are due to organic sulfur-containing onion compounds. Although the exact mechanism of anticancer action is unknown, scientists believe that these substances inhibit the growth of tumor cells and mutagenesis.

Onion is also recognized as an excellent source of vitamin C - a powerful antioxidant that prevents the formation of free radicals that can cause cancer.

Cancer of the large intestine It is proved that the increased consumption of vegetable fiber from fruits and vegetables contributes to the prevention of colon cancer.

Prostate Cancer Publications in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute indicate a link between onion consumption and a decrease in the incidence of prostate cancer. This relationship was demonstrated during population-based case-control studies.

Cancer of the stomach and esophagus Population studies conducted in Western countries have shown that frequent consumption of onions and certain other plants of this family reduces the risk of cancer of the stomach and esophagus. The same effect was obtained with animal experiments.

Sleep and mood disorders Folic acid, rich in onions, can help with depression, preventing excessive accumulation of homocysteine ??in the body. The fact is that the excess of homocysteine ??interferes with the synthesis of the "hormones of happiness" of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, which regulate not only the mood, but also sleep, and even appetite.

Problems with hair and skin Adequate intake of vitamin C and some micronutrients contained in onions is one of the conditions for the normal synthesis of collagen, which helps to strengthen hair and skin.

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