It Prevents Heart Attack, Lower Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure

Onions are believed to originate in central Asia, in modern-day Iran and Pakistan, and they have been among the earliest cultivated crops.

They were grown in Chinese gardens as early as 5,000 years ago, and are referred to in the oldest Vedic writings from India. As early as the sixth century B.C., a medical treatise, the Charaka Sanhita, celebrates this popular vegetable as a potent natural medicine, a diuretic, and remedy for the eyes, joints, and digestion.

In Egypt, onions were planted as far back as 3500 B.C. and they were worshiped as symbols of eternity due to their circle-within-a-circle structure. There were numerous paintings of onions on the inner walls of pyramids and other tombs.

Onions were buried with mummies, as people believed their strong scent had magical powers that would prompt the dead to breathe again.

Onions are also mentioned in the Bible, and the Greeks used them to fortify athletes for the Olympic games. The Romans consumed these vegetables regularly as well and used their countless medicinal properties.  Romans used onions to treat mouth sores, dog bites, poor vision, sleep issues, toothaches, dysentery, and lumbago.

By the Middle Ages, they were among the three main vegetables of European cuisine, together with beans, and cabbage, and were used to treat headaches, snakebites and hair loss.

Onions were brought by the Pilgrims on the Mayflower, but they found that Native Americans were already using wild onions in various ways.

Onion is an incredibly healthy vegetable and a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Onions belong to the Allium genus, together with garlic, scallions (green onions), leeks, and chives.

This vegetable can be of many varieties, and all of them are highly beneficial. The onion bulb can be red, white, or yellow, and the taste can range from mild and sweet to sharp and pungent.

The yellow variety is the most common in cooking, and white onions have a milder and crispier flavor. Red onions are also referred to as purple onions, and they aren’t as sharp and astringent as the yellow ones but are the highest in antioxidants.

The three varieties also differ in their nutritional value, but they are all rich in vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial micronutrients. They all have 40 calories per 100 grams, and a medium-sized onion contains nearly 2 grams of fiber. 100 grams of onions contain 9.3 grams of carbs and 4 grams of sugar. They all contain trace amounts of vitamins C and B-group vitamins, as well as minerals such as calcium, iron, manganese, and magnesium.

Onions contain decent amounts of several vitamins and minerals, and these are the main ones:

Vitamin C- which strengthens the immune function and improves skin and hair health 

Vitamin B6- It is essential for the formation of red blood cells

Potassium- This essential mineral lowers blood pressure and improves heart health