Onion Reduces Heart Disease - New Study

Onion is found in every kitchen, but its curative powers make it an important medicinal plant too. Like garlic, it is a member of the lily family. Resent studies have shown that they may help reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke, according to Victoria Jarzabkowski, a nutritionist with the Fitness Institute of Texas at the University of Texas at Austin in the United States (U.S).
Apart from its medicinal properties, the onion is simply delicious. It forms the basis of so many dishes – whether raw, sautéed, baked, steamed or boiled, that it would be difficult to imagine the cuisine of any country without it. “Onions are superhealthy,” Jarzabkowski, adding, “they are excellent sources of vitamin C, sulphuric compounds, flavonoids and phytochemicals.” She explained that phytochemicals, or phytonutrients, are naturally occurring compounds in fruits and vegetables that are able to react with the human body to trigger healthy reactions. Flavonoids are responsible for pigments in many fruits and vegetables.
According to Jarzabkowski, onions encourage a healthy heart in many ways, including “lowering blood pressure and lowering heart attack risk.” A 2002 study in the journal ‘Thrombosis Research’ suggested that sulfur acts as a natural blood thinner and prevents blood platelets from aggregating. When platelets cluster, the risk for heart attack or stroke increases. This research further supports a similar 1992 study in Thrombosis Research that focused on sulfurs in garlic. Furthermore, a 1987 animal study in the ‘Journal of Hypertension’ demonstrated delayed or reduced onset of hypertension with sulfur intake. However, the authors said more research was needed to determine if this benefit might be found in humans. The quercetin in onions may also help prevent plaque buildup in the arteries, which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. But since most of the studies in this regard have focused on animals, more research is needed to understand the effects in humans.

Onions’ sulfurs may be effective anti-inflammatory agents, according to a 1990 study in the journal ‘International Archives of Allergy and Applied Immunology’. Quercetin has been found to relax the airway muscles and may provide relief of asthma symptoms, according to a 2013 study in the ‘American Journal of Physiology.’

“The polyphenols in onions act as antioxidants, protecting the body against free radicals,” said Anne Mauney, a dietitian based in Washington, D.C. She said eliminating free radicals could help encourage a strong immune system. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the quercetin in onions also reduces allergic reactions by stopping the body from producing histamines, which are what make humans sneeze, cry and itch if they are having an allergic reaction.