some Onion info

[Guest guest]

Dear Yogis:

 

One of nature's best food sources for overall good health is also one of

its smelliest (at least some people think so).

 

The common onion is one of the most versatile natural remedies of our

time, helping to promote bone health, improve cardiovascular function,

maintain blood cholesterol levels, and a variety of other benefits. As I

discussed in the May 2000 issue of Alternatives, yellow and red onions

are two of the

very best sources of the bioflavonoid quercetin and the essential trace

element sulphur.

 

Among a long list of things, quercetin's antioxidant properties make it

an extremely effective protector of the heart and vascular system. Sulphur,

which helps give the onion its unique smell, also has a number of beneficial

qualities, particularly for your hair, skin, and bones (where sulphur

content is

highest within your body). Sulphur is also important for the functioning

of the brain

and nervous system.

 

Ways to Eat More Onions Every Day

 

The best method of reaping all the benefits of the onion is simply to

include it on a regular basis in your diet. I recommend the yellow

onion, because

it's inexpensive and also happens to be the most beneficial. Eating it fresh

is best, and with summer cookouts you have ample opportunities for

including more

 

onions in your daily diet, (although I don't recommend onion rings

because of the deep fat frying process used to cook them).

 

The easiest way to get a daily dose of onions is to chop or slice an

onion and add it to salads, sandwiches, and anything else you like them

with.

 

You can also use onions in cooking. In past issues of the newsletter,

I've described how cherries or vitamin E could be added to hamburger meat to

reduce the oxidation of fats in the meat.

 

Mixing onions with meat before cooking also reduces fatty oxidation, as

does adding onions to cooking oil before sautéing or frying. The sulphur

compounds in the onions reduce the oxidation of the oil.

 

And finally, if you include onions with a fatty meal, you'll minimize

the platelet stickiness that the fat would otherwise cause. (Taking 1

gram of vitamin

C and/or 400 I.U. of vitamin E will also help.)

 

Onion skins, though they contain the most quercetin, are not really

edible. However, you can cook the skins in soups and fish them out

before serving, as you

would bay leaves. A reader from Fresno, CA sent me one creative way to

make the

most of onion skins in the following Onion Cough Syrup recipe:

 

"Place 3 large chopped onions in a double boiler along with 1/4 cup of

honey. Cook slowly for a couple of hours, strain off the liquid and

dispose of the

onions. The liquid can be taken as often as needed."

 

An onion a day may be more appropriate than an apple a day to keep the

doctor away.

 

Other Sources of Quercetin and Sulphur

 

You may not be among those who, like me, can't get enough of onions.

Even if you do enjoy the taste, you will have to eat a lot of onions in

order to get

the full amount of quercetin and sulphur your body needs. Other natural

sources for

quercetin include apples, grapefruit (particularly the white pulp

portion), broccoli,

green tea, and summer squash. You can increase the amount of sulphur in

your body by eating

eggs (the richest source of sulphur, with 65 mg each), cauliflower,

garlic, dried beans,

peaches, carrots, and shrimp.

 

Quercetin and sulphur-containing amino acids should also be included in

your daily health routine. The daily supplement I've developed and take

every day

provides 100 mg of quercetin and contains two sulphur-rich amino acids:

100 mg of

 

N-acetyl-cysteine (a modified form of L-cysteine) and 400 mg of

L-taurine. In addition to supplements, though, be sure to add a

regular supply of

onions to your daily fare. It's truly one of nature's healthiest foods,

despite its

smelly reputation. But, as I've said before, I think you'll agree that

it's better to smell bad

and feel good than the other way around.

 

Until next time,

 

Dr. David Williams

 

************************************************************

Dr. David Williams is a medical investigator, international traveler,

and one of the world's leading authorities in natural healing. Often years

ahead of the conventional medical establishment, he has located, evaluated,

and health concern today. He shares these breakthroughs with over

250,000 insiders

through his in-depth monthly newsletter Alternatives.

 

Sudeep Radhakrishnan wrote:

 

> Dear group,

>

> Can the group tell me why is it suggested in the shastras to avoid

> onions in one's diet ? Does this pertain to all types of onions or

> just the large one's ? Has this been proved scientifically ?

>

> Warm regards

>

> Sudeep