Besides adding flavor to our dishes, onions boost our meals with iron, fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. What’s more, they are low in calories.
Thanks to their incredible content, onions provide a wide range of health benefits, including:
- Boost the immune system, thanks to vitamin C and phytochemical content;
- Relieve inflammation and treat infections;
- Relieve bee stings;
- Lower the risk of gastric ulcers;
- Improve skin and hair health.
However, research suggests that onion bulb extract can Interchopen and cholesterol levels as well. Here’s more about the research and the incredible results.
Onion Bulb Extract for High Blood Glucose
The Journal of Medicinal Food published a study that analyzed the effects of onion bulb extract on blood glucose levels in rats with diabetes.
Rats took the onion extract along with the popular drug metformin. There were three groups of rats, each one taking a different dose of onion bulb extract and metformin.
The first group of rats took 200mg of onion extract per kilogram of body weight, along with metformin.
Besides metformin, the rats from the second group took 400mg of onion bulb extract per kilogram of body weight. And, the last group received 600 mg of the extract per kilogram of body weight, along with the drug.
Researchers wanted to discover if the extract can increase the effects of the drug.
Researchers investigated the effects of the onion extract in rats without the disease as well.
The Incredible Results
It turned out that the largest dose of onion bulb extract is most efficient in reducing the blood sugar levels in diabetic rats. What’s more, researchers noted that their cholesterol levels were also reduced significantly.
Even though more research is needed to prove these effects on people, the outcome is still promising. Researchers plan to purify the onion bulb extract to keep only the important ingredients.
The lead researcher of the study explains that onion has the potential to be included in future treatments of chronic conditions. However, none of the researchers knows how it works in reducing blood glucose and cholesterol levels.
The research also showed that the onion bulb extract increased the body weight in rats without the disease, but not in those affected by it. So, this is another exciting discovery that requires further research.
Useful Tips
Even though onion is one of the healthiest ingredients on the planet, many people avoid it because chopping onions makes them cry. However, this shouldn’t stop us from using it. In fact, there’s a way to prevent this – just chop them in a small pool of water, or near water.
The water will prevent the syn-Propanethial-S-oxide, the gas that makes us cry when released, to make contact with our eyes.
As an alternative, we can open the window to let fresh air enter the kitchen and prevent the onion compounds from irritating our eyes. Try these tips and see if they work.
