7 ways to unlock the health benefits of onions

Onions may make us cry, but their many health benefits won't. Here's just a few reasons why, and a couple suggestions on how, you should eat more onions beyond making your cooking delicious.

The green tops of onions are a good source of vitamin C and beta carotene. But it's not just their tops, onions also:

• May lower elevated blood cholesterol.
• Reduce the ability of the blood to clot.
• May help lower blood pressure.
• Mild antibacterial effect may help prevent superficial infections.
• Sulfur compounds block carcinogens.
• A good source of potassium.

• Adenosine, a substance in onions, hinders clot formation. This may help prevent heart attacks.
• Onions may raise levels of the protective high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). This may protect against the artery-clogging damage of cholesterol.
• Studies suggest that eating ample amounts of onions may help prevent high blood pressure.

• Sulfur compounds in onions can cause bad breath and an unpleasant skin odour. But they also block the cancer-causing potential of some carcinogens.
• One study found a correlation between the high intake of dietary flavonoids and a reduced risk of lung cancer. Onions contain high levels of flavonoids.

• Crying is a natural reaction of the eyes to eliminate the irritant when around onions. This effect may help clear any congested nasal passages during a cold.
• A syrup made from onions and honey is an old cough remedy.
• Onions contain substances that have a mild antibacterial effect, which may validate the old folk remedy of rubbing a raw onion on a cut to prevent infection.

• Scallions should have crisp, dark green tops and firm white bottoms. Use them before they soften, which usually takes a couple of days when refrigerated.
• Globe onions should be firm, with crackly, dry skin. Avoid any that feel soft, have black spots or have green sprouts showing at the top.
• Red onions have a mild, somewhat sweet flavour. This makes them a favourite for salads and sandwiches.
• Stronger white and yellow varieties are ideal for cooking. They become milder and sweeter upon heating and impart a pleasant flavour to other foods.
• There are a number of new sweet varieties of yellow onions.

• You can include onions in your meals in many different ways: sliced raw in salads and sandwiches, cooked into stews and soups, and served as a side dish.
• Spring onions can be included in a raw vegetable tray, chopped into salads or dressings or braised and served hot.
• Build a light meal around a bowl of French onion soup. To reduce the calorie content, use a defatted broth stock and just a sprinkling of low-fat cheese.

• Cooking onions at a high heat significantly reduces the benefits of diallyl sulfide, their cancer-protective phytochemical.
• Fresh raw onion offers the most health benefits.
• Mincing, or even chewing, onion helps to release its phytochemical power.

The easiest way to get more health benefits from onions is to eat more of them. Buy all different kinds and use them all different ways. The results could keep you healthier, and make your cooking even tastier.