Our Modern Diet - The Good / Eat Your Onions!

submitted by Dr. Gary Farr Last Updated January, 23, 2002

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The Virtues of Onions

Onions not only provide flavor; they also provide health-promoting phytochemicals as well as nutrients.

Onions contain quercetin, a flavonoid (one category of antioxidant compounds). Antioxidants are compounds that help delay or slow the oxidative damage to cells and tissue of the body. Studies have indicated that quercetin helps to eliminate free radicals in the body, to inhibit low-density lipoprotein oxidation (an important reaction in the atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease), to protect and regenerate vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant) and to inactivate the harmful effects of chelate metal ions.

Major dietary sources of quercetin include tea, onions and apples. Recent studies at Wageningen Agricultural University, the Netherlands, showed that the absorption of quercetin from onions is twice that from tea and more than three times that from apples. Based on studies conducted at The Queen's University at Belfast, Ireland and Wageningen Agricultural University, the content of quercetin in onions is estimated to be between 22.40 mg and 51.82 mg per medium-sized onion (100 gram). Further research at the Agricultural University on Wageningen showed that daily consumption of onions may result in increased accumulation of quercetin in the blood. Studies are in progress to determine whether the increased quercetin accumulation from eating onions translates into significant antioxidant benefit.

Other studies have shown that consumption of onions may be beneficial for reduced risk of certain diseases. Consumption of onions may prevent gastric ulcers by scavenging free radicals and by preventing growth of the ulcer-forming microorganism, Helicobacter pylori. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers found that the more pungent onions exhibit strong anti-platelet activity. Platelet aggregation is associated with atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. As study in progress at the University of Wisconsin is determining the extent to which onion consumption and specific onion compounds affect the in vivo aggregation of blood platelets.

"Using an in vivo model, we are beginning to investigate and, in some cases, confirm the potency of the onion as a blood thinner and platelet inhibitor. Onions may be among the vegetables that will be prized not only for their addition to our cuisine, but for their value-added health characteristics," said Irwin Goldman, Associate Professor of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

A recent study at the University of Bern in Switzerland showed that consumption of 1 g dry onion per day for 4 weeks increased bone mineral content in rats by more than 17% and mineral density by more than 13% compared to animals fed a control diet. This data suggests onion consumption has the potential to decreased the incidences of osteoporosis.

Several studies have shown quercetin to have beneficial effects against many diseases and disorders including cataracts, cardiovascular disease as well as cancer of the breast, colon, ovarian, gastric, lung and bladder.

In addition to quercetin, onions contain the phytochemicals known as disulfides, trisulfides, cepaene, and vinyl dithiins. These compounds have a variety of health-functional properties, including demonstrated in vitro anticancer and anti-microbial activities.

Onions are also a source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and folic acid. They also contain calcium, iron and have a high protein quality (ratio of mg amino acid/gram protein). Onions are low in sodium and contain no fat.

Onions are low in calories yet add abundant flavor to a wide variety of foods.  With only 30 calories per serving, onions are sodium, fat, and cholesterol free, and provide dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and other key nutrients.

Higher intakes of fruits and vegetables have been associated with a variety of health benefits.  Research shows that onions may help guard against many chronic diseases.  That’s probably because onions contain generous amounts of a flavonoid called quercetin. Other sources are tea and apples, but research shows that absorption of quercetin from onions is twice that from tea and more than three times that from apples.  Studies have shown that quercetin protects against cataracts, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

In addition, onions contain a variety of other naturally occurring chemicals known as organosulfur compounds that have been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Onion History

Because onions are small and their tissues leave little or no trace, there is no conclusive opinion about the exact location and time of their birth. Many archaeologists, botanists and food historians believe onions originated in central Asia. Other research suggests that onions were first grown in Iran and West Pakistan.

It is presumed that our predecessors discovered and started eating wild onions very early – long before farming or even writing was invented. Very likely, this humble vegetable was a staple in the prehistoric diet.

Most researchers agree that the onion has been cultivated for 5000 years or more. Since onions grew wild in various regions, they were probably consumed for thousands of years and domesticated simultaneously all over the world. Onions may be one of the earliest cultivated crops because they were less perishable than other foods of the time, were transportable, were easy to grow and could be grown in a variety of soils and climates. In addition, the onion was useful for sustaining human life. Onions prevented thirst and could be dried and preserved for later consumption when food might be scarce.

While the place and time of the onion's origin are still a mystery, there are many documents, from very early times, which describe its importance as a food and its use in art, medicine and mummification.

Onions grew in Chinese gardens as early as 5000 years ago and they are referenced in some of the oldest Vedic writings from India. In Egypt, onions can be traced back to 3500 B.C. There is evidence that the Sumerians were growing onions as early as 2500 B.C. One Sumerian text dated to about 2500 B.C. tells of someone plowing over the city governor's onion patch.

In Egypt, onions were actually an object of worship. The onion symbolized eternity to the Egyptians who buried onions along with their Pharaohs. The Egyptians saw eternal life in the anatomy of the onion because of its circle-within-a-circle structure. Paintings of onions appear on the inner walls of the pyramids and in the tombs of both the Old Kingdom and the New Kingdom. The onion is mentioned as a funeral offering and onions are depicted on the banquet tables of the great feasts – both large, peeled onions and slender, immature ones. They were shown upon the altars of the gods.

Frequently, a priest is pictured holding onions in his hand or covering an altar with a bundle of their leaves or roots.

In mummies, onions have frequently been found in the pelvic regions of the body, in the thorax, flattened against the ears and in front of the collapsed eyes. Flowering onions have been found on the chest, and onions have been found attached to the soles of the feet and along the legs. King Ramses IV, who died in 1160 B.C., was entombed with onions in his eye sockets. Some Egyptologists theorize that onions may have been used because their strong scent and/or magical powers would prompt the dead to breathe again. Other Egyptologists believe it was because onions were known for their strong antiseptic qualities, which construed as magical, would be handy in the afterlife.

Onions are mentioned to have been eaten by the Israelites in the Bible. In Numbers 11:5, the children of Israel lament the meager desert diet enforced by the Exodus: "We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic."

In India as early as the sixth century B.C., the famous medical treatise Charaka – Sanhita celebrates the onion as medicine – a diuretic, good for digestion, the heart, the eyes and the joints.

Likewise, Dioscorides, a Greek physician in first century A.D., noted several medicinal uses of onions. The Greeks used onions to fortify athletes for the Olympic Games. Before competition, athletes would consume pounds of onions, drink onion juice and rub onions on their bodies.

The Romans ate onions regularly and carried them on journeys to their provinces in England and Germany. Pliny the Elder, Roman's keen-eyed observer, wrote of Pompeii's onions and cabbages. Before he was overcome and killed by the volcano's heat and fumes, Pliny the Elder catalogued the Roman beliefs about the efficacy of the onion to cure vision, induce sleep, heal mouth sores, dog bites, toothaches, dysentery and lumbago. Excavators of the doomed city would later find gardens where, just as Pliny had said, onions had grown. The bulbs had left behind telltale cavities in the ground.

The Roman gourmet Apicius, credited with writing one of the first cookbooks (which dates to the eighth and ninth centuries), included many references to onions.

By the Middle Ages, the three main vegetables of European cuisine were beans, cabbage and onions. In addition to serving as a food for both the poor and the wealthy, onions were prescribed to alleviate headaches, snakebites and hair loss. They were also used as rent payments and wedding gifts.

Later, the first Pilgrims brought onions with them on the Mayflower. However, they found that strains of wild onions already grew throughout North America. Native American Indians used wild onions in a variety of ways, eating them raw or cooked, as a seasoning or as a vegetable. Such onions were also used in syrups, as poultices, as an ingredient in dyes and even as toys. According to diaries of colonists, bulb onions were planted as soon as the Pilgrim fathers could clear the land in 1648.

Handling Onions

If you understand the two distinctive types of dry onions, buying and storing them will pose no problem. Onions are sold either in pre-packed sacks or in bulk. When buying onions, choose those with short necks and dry, papery outer skins. They should be firm and hard and reasonably free of blemishes.

The storage onion is an original convenience food. It can be stored in a cool dry, well ventilated place for weeks-even months without loss of vitamins or minerals. Don't store in piles, since a single layer ensures a longer life.

Spring/summer onions have a thinner skin and should also be firm but not as hard as a storage onion. Choose those onions that are free of cuts and bruises. You must remember that fresh onions are more delicate and need more care than the storage onion and will not keep as long. They should be stored in a well ventilated, cool dry place or refrigerated to sustain their quality.

The onion's flavor, odor and tear-inducing characteristics come primarily from sulfuric compounds in the vegetable. When onions are peeled and sliced, we free this chemical which dissolves in small quantities of water in the eyes. This produces a mild form of sulfuric acid, an irritant that causes tearing.

Three solution have proven effective in solving this problem. Cutting the top and peeling down without trimming off the root or bottom end until the last possible moment is a very effective method. The cells that release the sulfuric compounds are concentrated at the base of the onion, so cutting off the root end last helps to prevent those tears.

In modern society, some people worry that they may have "onion breath." Although this problem normally comes from eating raw onions, a mild raw onion may cause no odor. Cooked onions help alleviate this problem and leave virtually no odor on the breath. Here are a few helpful ways to freshen your breath.

• Rinse your mouth with equal parts of lemon juice and water.
• Chew a citrus peel to sweeten the breath.
• Eat a sprig or two of parsley, nature's natural breath sweetener.

U.S. Consumption

Onions represent the third largest fresh vegetable industry in the United States. The U.S. per capita consumption of onions is around 18.3 pounds per year. This translates to approximately 350 semi-truck loads of onions used in the United States each day.

U.S. Consumption Trends

Fresh and storage onion consumption has risen over 60 percent in the last two decades, from 11.4 pounds per person in 1980 to an estimated 18.3 pounds per person in 2000.

Leading Onion Uses

According to the National Onion Association, onions are most often used to enhance flavors in a wide range of recipes - casseroles, pizzas, soups, stews and salads.

The National Onion Association notes that onion rings, onion blooms, other onion appetizers, caramelized onions and classic French onion soup remain popular restaurant uses for onions. As a garnish, onions are used in sandwiches, wraps and in classic Mexican cuisine as well.

An estimated 15 to 18 percent of onions are processed for use in prepared food items such as salsa, soups, and appetizers. Onions are also processed for fresh consumption. Peeled, sliced, diced and chunked onions go directly to the foodservice industry.

World Consumption

World onion production is estimated at approximately 105 billion pounds each year. The average annual onion consumption calculates to approximately 13.67 pounds of onions per person across the world. Libya has the highest consumption of onions with an astounding average per capita consumption of 66.8 pounds.

World Onion Production

At least 175 countries grow onions. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, there are an estimated 6.7 million acres of onions in the world, producing 105 billion pounds of onions each year. Approximately 10 percent of this world onion production is traded internationally. Leading onion production countries are China, India, United States, Turkey and Iran, respectively.

Domestic Onion Production

U.S. farmers plant approximately 145,000 acres of onions, producing approximately 6 billion pounds of onions (excluding dehydration production) each year. The U.S. onion industry accounts for 2.5 percent of the world onion acreage and 7 percent of the world onion production.

U.S. Production Locations

Onions are grown in more than 20 states, literally border to border and coast to coast. Leading U.S. onion production areas are Idaho-Eastern Oregon, Washington and California. (See U.S. onion acreage/production tables on back).

Onion Imports

During the past five years, annual onion imports have ranged from 410 to 620 million pounds. The vast majority of these U.S. imported onions come from Mexico and Canada.

Onion Exports

Annual onion exports during the last five years have ranged from 315 to 660 million pounds. Leading export countries for U.S. onions are Canada, Japan and Mexico.

Onion Producers

The National Onion Association estimates that there are about 1,200 onion growers in the United States. Virtually all onion producers grow other agricultural crops.

Value

The annual value of the U.S. onion crop is $800 million at the farmgate and nearly $3-4 billion at retail.

Quotable, Notable Onions

"We remember the fish we ate in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions and the garlic; but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at."

-Numbers (11:5-6)

"I crawled into the vegetable bin, settled on a giant onion and ate it, skin and all. It must have marked me for life for I have never ceased to love the hearty flavor of onions."

-James Beard, American cooking expert and author

"I will not move my army without onions!"

-Ulysses S. Grant

"The onion and its satin wrappings is among the most beautiful of vegetables and is the only one that represents the essence of things. It can be said to have a soul."

-My Summer in a Garden by Charles Dudley Warner

"Onion skins very thin,

Mild winter coming in.

Onion skins very tough,

Coming winter very rough."

-old English rhyme

"If you hear an onion ring, answer it."

-Anonymous

"It's probably illegal to make soups, stews and casseroles without plenty of onions."

-Maggie Waldron, American author and editor

"Life is like an onion.

You peel it off one layer at a time;

And sometimes you weep."

-Carl Sandburg, American poet

"Onions can make even heirs and widows weep."

-Benjamin Franklin

"Life is like an onion; you peel off layer after layer and then you find there is nothing in it."

-James Gibbons Huneker, American musician, critic

"For this is every cook's opinion,

No savoury dish without an onion;

But lest your kissing should be spoiled,

Your onions should be thoroughly boiled."

-Jonathon Swift, Irish satirist

"Take care to chop the onion fine."

-Opening line of Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

"Why is it that the poet tells

So little of the sense of smell?

These are the odors I love well:

The smell of coffee freshly ground;

Or rich plum pudding, holly crowned;

Or onions fried and deeply browned…"

-Christopher Morley, poet

"It was for bringing the cook tulip-roots instead of onions."

-The reason the Queen of Hearts wants to behead the Seven-of-Spades in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

"Mine eyes smell onions: I shall weep anon."

-All's Well that Ends Well by William Shakespeare

"The onion tribe is prophylactic and highly invigorating, and even more necessary to cookery than parsley itself."

-George Ellwanger, British food writer

"Banish (the onion) from the kitchen and the pleasure flies with it. Its presence lends color and enchantment to the most modest dish; its absence reduces the rarest delicacy to hopeless insipidity, and dinner to despair."

-Elizabeth Robbins Pennell, American columnist