WHY YOU SHOULD EAT ONION EVERY DAY

Evidence suggests that you get the greatest health benefit from onions if you eat them raw. But you can still see positive results from eating them cooked. Onion powder is another option that delivers the benefit of raw onion, but in smaller amounts. There are tons of ways to get onion into your diet, and just as many reasons why you really should.

1. Lower cancer risk

Onions contain certain organosulfur compounds that give them their distinctive smell, but also work to detoxify the carcinogens that we consume every day. That translates to a lower lifetime risk of cancer. Research suggests that the more onions you eat, the greater the protection.
 
Combining onions with turmeric has a synergistic effect. Garlic offers similar protection too. You can add these other ingredients to extend the benefits.

2. Lower diabetes risk

Onions are also lowering your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This form of diabetes occurs when insulin become ineffective at processing glucose. It typically happens due to a diet chronically high in sugar.

When you eat onion, it increases the amount of available insulin in your system. The allyl propyl disulphide in onions take up some of the spots in the liver where insulin become inactivated, thereby leaving more insulin in the bloodstream to process glucose.

3. Better cardiovascular health

Onions are high in an antioxidant named quercetin, which like all antioxidants, benefits health by neutralizing free radicals that otherwise cause cellular damage. Quercetin keeps arteries soft and elastic.

It also regulates blood pressure and lowers the level of LDL cholesterol in people at risk for cardiovascular disorders. Therefore, eating some onion every day supports cardiovascular health and minimizes the risk of heart disease.

4. Enhanced immune function

Quercetin in onions does more than support heart health. It works in conjunction with selenium to strengthen the immune system. Together they have been found to reduce inflammation throughout the body.

This power combo also seems to moderate immune function, stimulating a response and then scaling it back as necessary. Overactive immune function can actually cause a host of problems, not the least of which is the chronic inflammatory disease of arthritis.

5. Allergy relief

Next time you’re suffering with allergies, try eating some onion. Quercetin blocks allergy-causing and inflammatory compounds and can therefore provide a significant reduction in symptoms.

6. Lesser food poisoning risk

Onions contain antibacterial compounds that slow bacterial growth. Not only are they safe to cut and store for up to 7 days, eating onion with any meal makes you less likely to get sick from other ingredients.

7. Reduced blood clots risk

Clotting is an important function for blood because it seals injuries and prevents excessive blood loss. However, when a clot forms within an artery or vein, it can be deadly. Technically called thrombus, a blood clot in the wrong place can block critical blood flow and starve other parts of the body of the oxygen and nutrients they need. A thrombus may also migrate to the heart or lungs and cause death.

Onions contain rutin that can prevent the formation of these dangerous clots. Interestingly, clots that form in an artery are rich in platelets, but clots found in veins are high in fibrin. Rutin has actually been found to dissolve both kinds.

8. Improved sleep and mood

There are a lot of chemical processes involved in sleep. Serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine work together to stabilize mood, regulate appetite and promote healthy slumber. But certain chemicals can hinder your ability to sleep soundly, such as homocysteine, an amino acid produced as the body breaks down proteins.

Too much homocysteine hinders the production of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Onions contain a good amount of folate, which can stop homocysteine from building up in the system.