Wipe those Tears Away (Onions)

Member Name: vinodgm

Product:	Onions
Date:	21/08/01 (193 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Immense medicinal values

Disadvantages: None

An opinion on Onions. I think I’ve gone mad but have I ?
We all use onions almost everyday. Some more than others. But what do we really know about them.

I did a bit of research and I hope that this opinion will enlighten everyone.

Onions are low in calories yet add abundant flavor to a wide variety of foods. With only 30 calories per serving, onions are sodium, fat, and cholesterol free, and provide dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and other key nutrients.
Higher intakes of fruits and vegetables have been associated with a variety of health benefits. Research shows that onions may help guard against many chronic diseases. That’s probably because onions contain generous amounts of a flavonoid called quercetin. Other sources are tea and apples (I already wrote an opinion on the benefits of apples), but research shows that absorption of quercetin from onions is twice that from tea and more than three times that from apples. Studies have shown that quercetin protects against cataracts, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

In addition, onions contain a variety of other naturally occurring chemicals known as organosulfur compounds that have been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Man, all that in an onion. I think we’ve underestimated the little critters.

Want a bit of history on onions?. Probably not but here it is anyway.

It is presumed that our predecessors discovered and started eating wild onions very early – long before farming or even writing was invented. Very likely, this humble vegetable was a staple in the prehistoric diet.

Most researchers agree that the onion has been cultivated for 5000 years or more. Since onions grew wild in various regions, they were probably consumed for thousands of years and domesticated simultaneously all over the world. Onions may be one of the earliest cultivated crops because they were less pe
rishable than other foods of the time, were transportable, were easy to grow and could be grown in a variety of soils and climates. In addition, the onion was useful for sustaining human life. Onions prevented thirst and could be dried and preserved for later consumption when food might be scarce.

While the place and time of the onion's origin are still a mystery, there are many documents, from very early times, which describe its importance as a food and its use in art, medicine and mummification.
Onions grew in Chinese gardens as early as 5000 years ago and they are referenced in some of the oldest Vedic writings from India. In Egypt, onions can be traced back to 3500 B.C. There is evidence that the Sumerians were growing onions as early as 2500 B.C. One Sumerian text dated to about 2500 B.C. tells of someone plowing over the city governor's onion patch.

So there you have it. My mate the Onion has a history that anyone would be proud of.

So the next time when your cutting an onion and your eyes begin to water, think about this op, maybe just maybe those tears are worth it.

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