By Cara Trentadue Muscle Sport Magazine
By Cara Trentadue – Whenever I speak to people about making positive dietary changes, I try to encourage small steps and a lot of them. Baby steps if you will. One way to make a make a small but powerful change is to add onions and other members of the Allium family into your diet. Onions are a potent bulb that add zest to recipes when used raw or can make a recipe sweet like sugar if prepared correctly. Women especially will benefit from their bone building qualities and sugar regulating abilities. Here is a brief explanation:
Onions, like garlic, are members of the Allium family and both are rich in sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for their pungent odors and for many of their health-promoting effects. A wide variety of allyl sulfides are found in onion, including the four major diallyl sulfides: DMS (diallyl monosulfide), DDS (diallyl disulfide), DTS (diallyl trisulfide), and DTTS (diallyl tetrasulfide). Also present are a wide variety of sulfoxides, including (+) S-methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide (MCSO), (+)-S-(1-propenyl)-L-cysteine sulfoxide (PRENCSO), S-methyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide, S-propyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide, and S-propenyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide. Onions are an outstanding source of polyphenols, including the flavonoid polyphenols more than carrots and tomatoes actually. Within this flavonoid category, onions are a standout source of quercetin.
The plant pigment and bioflavonoid quercetin has been touted as an extremely beneficial supplement in recent years. Quercetin has been connected to potentially curing ailments and improving health when consumed in natural forms like blackberries and green leafy vegetables and when taken in the form of a vitamin. When taken in supplemental form, quercetin is recommended in a 400-mg dose, two to three times a day. Consult your physician before adding any new supplement to your diet.
Human studies have shown that onion can help increase our bone density and may be of special benefit to women because they are more prone to loss of bone density. Onions contain compounds that inhibit the cells breakdown in bones and reduce inflammation in the bones as well as other areas of the human body.
The high sulfur content of onions may provide direct benefits connective tissue. Many of our connective tissue components require sulfur for their formation. The sulfur component also adds to their antiviral, antibiotic properties as well. Onions are also rich in probiotics which also may lead credence into the stomach cancer and colon cancer protection of onions.
Onions are also medicinally priceless for its ability to fight flu, asthma and common cold even the WHO (World Health Organization) recognizes the onions compounds effective in treating these diseases.
When closing red onions choose small firm dark pigmented bulbs that are free of mold. Use them in salads, tuna, with steak, and cooked into soups and stews. Make them a part of y our everyday diet……
Source: http://www.musclesportmag.com/2015/06/22/make-red-onion-a-part-of-your-diet-everyday/