According to research, onion skins have many health benefits. What are the benefits of onion skin? Check out the findings here.
Generally, after peeling, the onion skin is simply thrown away. In fact, there are many health benefits of onion skins.
The health benefits of onion skins are said to be able to increase immunity, support heart health, and maintain blood sugar levels.
A series of benefits are obtained from the nutritional content in onion skins.
“Onion skins contain fiber and are rich in antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, E, and flavonoids which are good for health,” he said.
How does the nutritional mechanism of onion skins support body health? Come on, find out.
2. Supports heart health
Long-term oxidative stress can trigger various chronic diseases, including heart disease.
This is because oxidative stress can damage healthy cells and cause inflammation, including in the coronary arteries.
Coronary arteries are blood vessels that supply blood to heart cells.
Inflammation of the coronary arteries can increase the risk of heart attack. This was conveyed by Dr. Deepak Bhatt, director of the Integrated Interventional Cardiovascular Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital & VA Boston Healthcare System.
According to him, inflammation of the coronary arteries can increase the risk of blockage of the arteries by plaque and blood clots. In turn, this condition triggers a heart attack.
This heart problem can be minimized, one way is by consuming red onion skins. The benefits of onion skin for heart health come from the content of a flavonoid compound called quercetin.
Quercetin acts as an anti-inflammatory agent that can reduce inflammation in blood vessels. Apart from that, according to research released in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2015, quercetin obtained from onion skin extract is effective in reducing high blood pressure.
This research was conducted on obese, aka overweight, sufferers who suffer from prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension. High blood pressure itself is one of the factors that increases the risk of heart attack.
Others, the benefits of onion skins for the heart come from the fiber content in them. Referring to studies published in the National Center for Biotechnology, regularly consuming fiber-rich foods can reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as colon cancer and obesity.
1. Increase Immunity
Oxidative stress is a condition when the levels of free radicals in the body are greater than antioxidants. This condition causes free radicals to damage the body’s cells and tissues, including the immune system.
Therefore, to carry out its function properly, the immune system is very dependent on nutritional intake which acts as an antioxidant.
The reason is, that antioxidants can destroy free radical cells and protect cells and body tissues from damage due to oxidative stress.
Based on studies published in the National Library of Medicine, types of powerful antioxidants that can increase the body’s immunity include vitamins A, C, and E.
A series of antioxidants are contained in onion skins. Research shows that vitamins A, C and E are useful in increasing certain immune responses, so they can increase immunity.
3. Controls Blood Sugar
The next benefit of onion skins is that it can control blood sugar. This benefit is obtained from the quercetin content in onion skins.
Because of its positive effects, quercetin is often recommended for treating diabetes, a metabolic disease caused by the body’s inability to respond to and produce the hormone insulin.
Insulin is a hormone whose job is to help body cells absorb and convert blood sugar into energy. When the insulin hormone is not responded to or produced by the body optimally, this triggers the typical symptoms of diabetes in the form of a spike in blood sugar.
However, according to WebMD, further research is needed to determine the benefits of onion skins in helping control blood sugar in diabetes sufferers.