The onion plant, which gives our meals and salads a spicy vegetable bulb with many beneficial effects on our health, is from the Liliaceae family. It is thought to be native to Southeast Asia. Table onion (A. cepa), one of the many species of onion plants, is grown in many parts of the world and in Turkey, and its product, dry and green onions, are consumed abundantly.
Onion is a biennial herbaceous plant that can grow up to 40-80 cm tall. In its first year, it produces hollow dark green leaves that rise up to 40 cm. In its second year, it produces a ball-shaped inflorescence consisting of small white or sometimes lilac flowers at the top of a stem longer than these leaves.
In the middle of the first year of the plant, the base of the leaves swells and begins to form a head under the soil. If it is pulled out of the soil in this state, a fresh onion product called green onion, used especially in salads, is obtained. The heads that are not pulled out and remain in the soil are pulled out and dried in the second year of the plant to obtain dry onions.
Onions are added to various dishes, cream cheeses and hamburgers, as well as salads, and are used to make popular dishes such as soups and stews. They are an indispensable element of the kitchen.
NUTRITIONAL VALUES
The nutritional values of 100 g. raw (uncooked) onion are as follows: 38 calories; 1.5 g. protein; 9 g. carbohydrates; 0 cholesterol; 0.1 g. fat; 0.6 g. fiber; 56 mg. phosphorus; 27 mg. calcium; 0.5 mg. iron; 10 mg. sodium; 157 mg. potassium: 12 mg. magnesium; 40 IU vitamin A; 0.03 mg. vitamin B1; 0.04 mg. vitamin B2; 0.2 mg. vitamin B3: 0.1 mg. vitamin B6: 10 mcgr. folic acid: 10 mg. vitamin C and 0.3 mg. vitamin E.
Some nutritional values of green onions are higher than those of dry onions, while others are lower. The nutritional values of green onions can be listed as follows: 45 calories; 10.5 grams of protein; 1 gram of carbohydrates; trace amounts of fat and fiber; 40 mg of calcium; 5 mg of sodium; 231 mg of potassium; 20 IU of vitamin A and 25 mg of vitamin C.
BENEFITS TO OUR HEALTH
In addition to the important nutritional values listed above;
Onion strengthens the body's defense system: It is a food that is good for infectious diseases such as cold, cough, bronchitis and gastritis and is traditionally consumed for this reason.
Onion prevents the increase in cholesterol and blood clotting in the body after eating fatty foods: Such harmful situations that occur in people who eat too much fatty food are eliminated if there is plenty of onion in the meals.
Onion lowers bad cholesterol and high blood pressure in the body, but increases good cholesterol levels.
It is claimed that eating plenty of onions reduces the body's risk of developing cancer.
According to some recent scientific studies, it is suggested that onions strengthen the heart and dilate the coronary arteries.
Onion is a diuretic: With this effect, it helps to remove toxins from the body and cleanse the blood.
Onion is stomachic: it stimulates the appetite and facilitates digestion. It also has a laxative effect.
