The Health Benefits of Onions and Garlic!

The health Benefits of Eating Onions and Garlic!

Onions and Garlic. The Greeley, Colo.-based National Onion Association counts off a number of attributes on its Web site, www.onions-usa.org:
 low calories;
 low in sodium;
 fat-free;
 cholesterol-free;
 high in vitamin C;
 high in fiber.

However, a closer look at onions and garlic reveal astounding health benefits you may not know about. For example, onions also have more of the flavonoid quercetin than tea or apples. The association points out that quercetin protects against cataracts, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Garlic and Onion   

People far back in history were well aware that both of these foods had medicinal value as they consumed them regularly, such as on a daily basis, in order to protect themselves from getting sick and also as a way to help them heal more quickly in the event that they did come down with an infection.

Scientific research studies well support the fact that onions and garlic are worthy of being eaten every single day in order to provide optimum health benefits. Although pungent and giving off a sulphorous odor, these are not foods that should be easily brushed aside.

These natural foods are full of chemicals that can help protect a person from a variety of infections, diseases and illnesses. Garlic and onions help to protect against cardiovascular disease, respiratory concerns, diabetes, and a variety of cancers.

A number of tests have shown that a diet rich in garlic helps to lower the total cholesterol rate of an individual, including the bad cholesterol or LDL while at the same time it raises the good HDL cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Garlic is responsible for producing a great deal of cells in the blood that are deemed "natural killers" and these can help to fight off many different kinds of infections as well as deadly tumors. Garlic lowers blood pressure and it decreases the risk of blood clots developing. Blood clots are to blame for the incidence of many strokes and heart attacks.

Garlic fights a great number of bacteria and viruses and therefore helps to prevent infections and it decreases the risks of a number of different types of cancer, with an emphasis on cancers of the stomach. It is important to note that garlic is best eaten in its raw state and its medicinal properties are at their height when garlic is cut up, sliced up or chopped. Cooking garlic, especially for too long or at high temperatures is responsible for destroying some of the compound known as "allicin" in it as it is allicin that makes garlic as healing in nature as it is.

Onions have many benefits to health as well. Much like garlic, onions help to increase the HDL cholesterol in the blood, especially when they are eaten in their raw state. Onions also help to decrease the bad cholesterol or LDL in the blood and they increase the ability of the blood to dissolve blood clots.

Onions are excellent at decreasing the risk inherent in developing diabetes and help to fight off the bacteria that are responsible for causing many infections in the human body.

Onions decrease the risk of many different types of cancers. A compound known as quercetin has been discovered in onions and this compound is extremely powerful when it comes to fighting cancer and is an excellent antioxidant.
For greater health benefits, enjoy fresh onions and garlic, not just garlic powder, onion
salt, or garlic oil or pills. For garlic, you should strive for consuming several cloves a week to reap its health benefits.

If these pungent foods offend your nose or taste buds:
Rub odor away. Wipe your hands with salt or lemon juice after handling.
Refrigerating onions at least 30 minutes before cutting them can reduce eye-irritants associated with chopping onions.
To lessen the flavor. Pour boiling, then cold, water over raw onions. Or cook to
Further mellow flavor.
Freshen your breath by eating the parsley garnish. Or sip ginger or mint tea
After eating onions.
For more information on onions and garlic please visit:

http://www.massachusettshealth.com/onions-garlic-health.php