Why onions are useful for the body

The benefits and harms of onions are of great interest, since the product is often found in culinary and medicinal recipes. To understand who can use onions, and who is better off giving it up, you need to carefully read the properties.

What are onions

Onions are biennials from the onion family with a weighty bulb covered with dry husks. As a rule, the inner scales of onions are white, and the dry husks are yellow or golden. However, there are other varieties, such as white and red onions.

In diameter, the bulb can reach about 15 cm. During the flowering period, hollow green arrows appear from its upper part, which are also used for food.

The chemical composition and calorie content of onions

The health benefits and harms of onions are very diverse, and they are determined by the composition of the product. It contains:

  • vitamin A and vitamin C;
  • vitamins B1, B2 and B9;
  • vitamins PP and E;
  • saccharides;
  • a small amount of organic acids and fiber;
  • potassium, iron, manganese and zinc;
  • ash;
  • iodine, cobalt, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium;
  • sodium, copper and fluorine.

The calorie content of fresh bulbs is quite low - only 41 kcal per 100 g. At the same time, onions are consumed a little, which makes it a completely safe product for the figure.

Useful properties of onions

The product possesses a considerable number of properties valuable for health. If you add it to food in small portions, but regularly, onions:

  • will have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect and help to cope with bacteria, viruses and fungi;
  • will benefit from intestinal parasites and will quickly get rid of them using improvised methods;
  • will contribute to the removal of excess fluids and toxins from the body;
  • will benefit from vascular and heart ailments, equalize blood pressure and restore sleep;
  • regulate cholesterol levels and relieve anemia and anemia;
  • help to quickly cope with skin damage and irritation;
  • will benefit the liver and kidneys, stomach and urinary tract;
  • protects joints from harmful salt deposits and prevents gout.

The immunomodulatory properties of the product are widely known - it is very useful to use it during the cold season.

For men

The benefits of onions for a man's body is that the product has a positive effect on the state of the reproductive system. Eating onions improves potency and increases the quality of the genetic material. In addition, the product is effective in helping with prostate adenoma - relieves inflammation and reduces pain.

The beneficial effect of the product on blood vessels helps to prolong the life of men, since it protects against the development of heart attacks and strokes.

For women

The benefits of onions for women are expressed in the fact that the vegetable helps maintain a healthy hormonal balance - the product contains a lot of vitamin B9. The product reduces natural discomfort during menstruation, increases libido and prevents the development of diseases of the reproductive system.

The bow also benefits female beauty. It has a good effect on the elasticity and youth of the skin, is able to eliminate the problem of brittle hair and brittle nails.

Is it possible onions for pregnant and lactating

For women during the period of gestation, onions are very valuable - they contain a lot of B9 folic acid, which is important for the fetus. Expectant mothers can use up to a whole small onion a day without any harm, of course, in combination with other products, and not just like that. In addition to the fact that the product will benefit the fetus, it will protect a woman from colds and help to cope with any inflammation.

But during lactation, a useful product must be handled carefully, it can cause harm. In addition to the fact that the baby may be allergic to the product, the properties of onions also slightly change the taste of mother's milk. Sometimes this leads to the baby's refusal to feed. Therefore, it is necessary to reintroduce the product into the diet gradually and in small portions so as not to harm the health of the baby.

Are onions good for children

The beneficial properties of the product are the same for adults and children. In the child's diet, the product will be beneficial - it will strengthen the immune resistance and improve digestion, have a beneficial effect on the baby's nervous system.

But at the same time, for the first time, it is allowed to offer a child onions only after 3 years. At an earlier age, the product is more likely to harm, it can burn the baby's sensitive mucous membranes or cause allergies. It is necessary to introduce a useful product into the diet only in a processed form - after boiling and chopping.

Attention! Since in some conditions, onions can cause serious harm to a child, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician before giving the product to a baby.

Onions for weight loss

Raw onions are beneficial in dietary nutrition - the product effectively helps to fight excess body fat. There are several reasons for this - onions cleanse the body of accumulated toxins and remove toxins, accelerate the processes of metabolism and absorption of nutrients into the blood.

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Since the product is quite spicy, when losing weight, you cannot eat only it. But many diets recommend adding a little onion to salads, soups, and main courses to increase the benefits.

The use of onions in traditional medicine

The benefits of fresh onions are actively used by homemade medicinal recipes. The product is able to help with many unpleasant symptoms, and its effectiveness is recognized even by official medicine.

From a cold

The benefits of onions for colds are best known. In particular, the product perfectly helps to get rid of a runny nose and nasal congestion - onions are used for inhalation.

A small onion is chopped on a grater to reveal the entire aroma of the product and its beneficial properties. Then the gruel is poured into a container with a lid and placed in a water bath, and after 15 minutes it is removed and breathed in the rising onion vapor.

Important! With beneficial inhalations with onions, you cannot take sharp and quick breaths - this will be harmful. Breathing should be measured, slow and careful, then the properties of the onion vapor will have a positive effect and will not cause burns.

For colds and coughs

Useful properties of the product help to cure cough and relieve fever in case of colds.Compresses help best of all - you need to finely grate 1 raw onion, and then put the gruel on a gauze bandage and fix it in the throat area.

You can leave the compress overnight, and in the morning the effect will be noticeable - the sore throat and cough will weaken.

With bronchitis

For bronchitis and cough, onion decoction with the addition of mother and stepmother is most beneficial. Pour the medicinal herb with boiling water and leave for half an hour, then stir the gruel from 1 onion into the infusion, and then strain the product. You need to drink such a broth three times a day - just a large spoonful, so as not to harm yourself.

With hypertension

The properties of onions help to cope with chronic high blood pressure. For treatment, you can use 2 means:

  • honey and onion mixture - finely rub a large onion, mix the gruel with an equal amount of honey and infuse for 3 days, and then take a large spoonful three times a day;
  • infusion - half a fresh onion is poured with hot water in the volume of half a glass and left overnight, and in the morning they drink the remedy on an empty stomach.

Onions quickly help during bouts of hypertension, and if you use useful remedies for a couple of weeks, you can even out the pressure on an ongoing basis.

With ear congestion

For colds and mild cases of otitis externa, the benefits and harms of onion juice help relieve ear congestion and inflammation. It is customary to use such a tool:

  • finely rub a small onion and squeeze fresh juice through cheesecloth;
  • mixed with an equal amount of boiled water, and then slightly warmed up - no more than 37 ° C;
  • instill 3-4 drops of the drug into each auricle four times a day.

You need to continue the beneficial treatment for about a week. Beforehand, it is recommended to conduct an allergy test - drip a little onion juice on your wrist and see if irritation occurs.

Attention! For instillation in the ears, it is allowed to use only diluted juice, since the concentrated agent will burn the skin and mucous membranes and cause harm.

When ligaments are stretched

Onions effectively help restore health from damaged ligaments after heavy physical exertion. A baked or fresh onion should be grated, mixed with sugar in a 10 to 1 ratio and applied to a gauze bandage.

The compress is fixed directly on the damaged ligament and left for 6 hours, after which the bandage is changed.

From worms

The antibacterial and cleansing properties of the product are great for getting rid of parasites. For treatment, you can prepare the following remedy:

  • chop a medium-sized onion;
  • pour 2 cups of boiling water over it and leave covered for 6-8 hours;
  • ready-made infusion take half a glass three times a day on an empty stomach.

Alcohol-based onion tincture brings a good effect. For its preparation, onion gruel must be poured not with water, but with vodka, and insisted for 10 days. Take the medicine in a large spoonful before meals.

In both cases, treatment must be continued for 1-2 weeks, during which time the worms will leave the body.

Is it possible to eat onions with diabetes

Since onions equalize sugar levels, they are highly recommended for people with diabetes. The properties of baked onions will be especially useful - such a product retains all its benefits, but has a milder taste and texture.

Regular consumption of the product helps to maintain good health, the vegetable prevents the development of complications. The benefits of onions for the liver of diabetics are appreciated - the product helps the body to cope with the removal of toxins and toxins.

Is onion allowed for pancreatitis

The benefits of onions for the stomach and pancreas are undeniable, however, during an exacerbation of pancreatitis, the product will have to be abandoned. During the period of acute inflammation, the raw product will only cause harm, since it will have an irritating effect on the diseased organ.

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But during remission, you can use onions, preferably boiled or baked. The product is added to vegetable stews or purees, salads and side dishes - the softened vegetable does not irritate the pancreas, but helps prevent new inflammation.

In what form are onions healthier

The greatest benefit to the body is undoubtedly brought by raw onions, it fully retains all valuable substances and vitamins. But the health benefits and harms of fried onions, despite the pleasant taste of the product, are less balanced - after frying, the vegetable becomes much more nutritious and loses some of its beneficial properties.

Stewed onions and boiled vegetables are beneficial - after processing, it becomes softer and tastier. But a certain part of the vitamins is also lost from it. Therefore, in the absence of contraindications, preference should be given to the raw product in salads, soups and main courses.

The use of onions in cosmetology

The properties of onions are used by women in home beauty recipes. Many have heard about the benefits of onions for hair; in the composition of masks, the product has a positive effect on the condition of the skin.

Onions for hair

The properties of the product have a complex beneficial effect on the hair and scalp. The benefits of onion juice for hair is that this tool effectively strengthens the curls, gives them shine and silky softness, and stops hair loss. The juice is used very simply - it is mixed with water in equal amounts and the strands are rinsed during the washing process.

  1. Onion peel allows you to get rid of dandruff - 50 g of dry flakes should be brewed with a liter of boiling water, insisted until the product cools down, and rinse clean hair. After a few treatments, scalp health will improve and dandruff will be reduced.
  2. A simple mask helps against hair loss - onion gruel in the amount of a large spoon should be mixed with egg yolk, a large spoonful of burdock oil and a small spoonful of honey. The mask is applied to the hair and kept under a film and a towel for 40 minutes, and then washed off using a natural shampoo.

Onion remedies need to be used at least twice a week, then the effect of them will be quick.

Face masks with onion

The benefits of onions for the skin are expressed in the fact that they cleanse the skin of acne and inflammation, smoothen wrinkles and folds, and eliminate freckles and age spots.

To lighten the skin of the face, it is customary to use the following mask:

  • a large spoonful of onion gruel is mixed with an equal amount of grated horseradish;
  • add a large spoonful of sour cream to the mixture;
  • for 5 minutes, spread the mask over the face in the morning and evening.

When using a mask, care must be taken that the mixture does not get into the eyes. It is not recommended to overexpose the product, otherwise the onions and horseradish will dry the skin excessively and cause harm. With regular use, the mask will help eliminate freckles, age spots and generally make the skin lighter.

The harm of onions and contraindications

For all its useful properties, the product remains quite pungent and pungent. It should not be eaten in large quantities, especially raw - it will be harmful, as the esophagus and stomach will be burned.

Contraindications for onions are:

  • chronic diseases of the gallbladder and liver;
  • severe kidney ailments;
  • peptic ulcer and gastritis, especially with high acidity;
  • bronchial asthma.

With caution, the fresh product should be used for hypertension - despite the fact that it is used in medicinal recipes, in its raw form it can provoke a pressure surge.

How to choose and store onions

It is quite easy to get a quality product in a store or market. You need to pay attention to the following points:

  • hardness - if soft areas are felt on the vegetable, you should not buy it, the product has already begun to rot;
  • husk coloring - for yellow onions, a golden shade of scales is considered a sign of high quality;
  • no stains - black dots and other injuries indicate diseases and pests;
  • lack of germs - good quality onions should not produce green arrows.

Medium-sized bulbs have the best taste - you shouldn't buy large onions as they will turn out to be too watery and unpleasantly sweet. Red varieties of onions are highly beneficial - they are characterized by a sweeter taste, in addition, the content of nutrients in red onions is increased.

As for storing onions, it is best to keep them at room temperature with good ventilation - hung on the wall or put away in a dry box.

Advice! You should not store the product in the refrigerator - it will quickly lose its properties. However, you can put an already cut onion in the refrigerator, having previously treated the cut with salt.

Subject to the storage conditions, onions can safely lie in the apartment for a year - until the next harvest.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of onions depend on the condition of the body and on dosages. If there are no chronic diseases of the stomach and intestines, then eating vegetables in small quantities will bring undoubted health benefits.

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