Dolele

Onions for bone health? Swiss researchers found that bone mineral density increased by 17 percent in rats fed dried onions, possible due onions’ prebiotic fiber boosting calcium absorption. Onions are a top source of inulin, a fiber indigestible by humans, but which selectively nourishes to good gut bacteria that line our intestinal tract thereby protecting against food-borne viruses like E.Coli. Onions’ prebiotic fiber may also help regulate appetite. Onions are also one of the highest sources of quercetin - a potent antioxidant that may reduce the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer's, prostatitis and a variety of cancers (such as prostate and lung cancer). In addition to such direct antioxidants (that protect you by directly neutralizing free radicals), onions contain indirect antioxidants that trigger your body's own natural detoxification systems. In fact, the same sulfur-containing compounds that give onions their pungent odors are those that activate the phase II enzymes in the liver, prompting a cascade of detoxification that can last for several hours. Less spectacular, though no less important, is that onions are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber, vitamin B6, and manganese. With all of these health benefits for just 60 calories per one medium bulb, it's a good thing the average American eats about 18 pounds of onions per year.