Onions were used as a preventative medicine during epidemics of cholera and the plague over history. They were also consumed by the Romans as a cure for colds, and their reputation has made them a popular part in the diets of many countries.
Onions are a nutrient-dense food, which means they are low in calories and high in beneficial nutrients like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. One cup of chopped onion contains approximately 64 calories, 15g carbohydrate, 0g fat, 0g cholesterol, 3g fiber, 7g sugar, 2g protein and over 10% of the daily value for vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and manganese. Onions also contain small amounts of calcium, iron, folate, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium and the antioxidants quercetin and sulfur.
Here are 5 common health problems that you can treat with onions.
- Remove ear wax easily. The very common symptoms of ear wax are hearing problem, dizziness, pain in the ear, plugged ear, ringing and itching in the ear. Ear wax is generally caused by then glands in the ear canal. Ear blockage also causes ear wax. Onion is an outstanding remedy to heal the boot of ear wax. It contains the anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities that help to get rid of ear wax. Take out the core of the onion and place it at the opening of your ear canal. Be careful not to push it deep inside your ear. Leave it overnight so that it softens the wax. In the morning you will be able to easily remove your wax.
- Sooth burns. Onions contain sulphur and quercetin which help to give relief from the pain and heal the burns. It will also reduce the chances of forming blisters. To cure first and second degree burns, take an onion and cut it in slices. Then apply the slices on your burn directly. Make sure that you use freshly cut onions as after few minutes, onions may lose their medical properties. Repeat this process several times a day to get relief from the pain and burns.
- Relieve insect stings. The best natural remedy for insect stings is to cut an onion in half and apply it right to the sting. After a few moments of slightly sharper stinging, the pain will diminish almost immediately, and the sting will heal in a short while.
- Lower body temperature. Cut a raw onion into half. Put it underneath your foot, and envelop it in a warm blanket. You can also put the slices of raw onion in your socks and wear them. This remedy also works well in alleviating fever.
- Dispose of toxins. This is the simplest method of all; just eat fresh onions as much as you can. For one thing, onion is brimming with sulfur-containing amino acids, which efficiently detox the liver. Raw onions deliver the most health benefits and onions will soak up arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and tin in contaminated foods. The total polyphenol content of onion is not only higher than its fellow allium vegetables, garlic and leeks, but also higher than tomatoes, carrots, and red bell pepper. Onions have been shown to inhibit the activity of macrophages, specialized white blood cells that play a key role in our body’s immune defense system, and one of their defense activities involves the triggering of large-scale inflammatory responses.
