Onion Facts
Some Interesting Onion Facts to Know
• Onions are one of the oldest vegetables, and they are used in recipes over much of the world. You can buy them in many forms today – fresh, canned, powdered, frozen, pickled and dehydrated. Onions aren't very often eaten by themselves, but they are added as seasoning to countless recipes.
• Onions can be pickled in vinegar and eaten as a snack. In England it is quite common to find them as a side dish when you order fish and chips. People in India use the onion, facts confirm, as a mainstay to their cooking. They are used there as a paste for a main course, or as a base to make curries.
• Potatoes are grown in many countries, but the top producers are, in order, China, India, the United States and Turkey.
• One cup of onions contains a bit over fifteen percent of your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C, and is also a significant source of fiber, manganese and Vitamin B6. It also contains tryptophan, copper and potassium. A medium onion, facts state, has only about sixty calories.
• Onions are rich in sulfur-containing compounds that lend the vegetable its pungent odor. They also contain chromium, which helps cells react to insulin in your body.
• People who have a higher intake of onion, facts state, have a lower level of glucose. The result of this interaction causes you to have an increase in the available insulin in your body, and lowers your blood sugar.
• If you consume onions on a regular basis, studies show that you may have lower bad cholesterol levels, and lower blood sugar. These levels help to protect your body from diabetic heart disease and atherosclerosis. They also lower your chance of stroke or heart attack.
• Eating onions on a regular basis can reduce your risk of developing colon cancer. The onion, facts and studies have shown, contains flavonoids, which can halt the growth of animals' tumors. They also protect cells in the colon from effects of certain carcinogens. If you cook meat with onions, you can help reduce the amount of cancer-causing substances the meat may contain, when cooked with high heat.
• You can combine tomatoes, jalapeño and avocado with chopped onions to make a delicious guacamole and salsa dip.
• Tired of plain rice? Sprinkle some scallions (also called green onions) and sesame seeds on the top.
• You can make your own Italian salad – toss tomatoes, sliced onions, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes together and then use olive oil for a drizzle. This is a tasty and healthy salad.
• If you sauté and chop onions, you can add these to almost any vegetable dish to make it tastier.