Study Reveals Bombai Onions Have the Potential to Lower Blood Sugar by 50 Percent

Diabetes type 2 is one of the health problems that many people experience. This condition occurs when the body is unable to use insulin effectively or the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels stable.

If not controlled, high blood sugar levels can trigger a variety of serious complications, ranging from neurological disorders to heart disease.

However, an interesting study shows that there are cheap and easy-to-find vegetables that have the potential to help control blood sugar, namely onions (Allium cepa). Research says onion extracts can lower blood sugar levels by up to 50 percent under certain conditions.

The findings were presented at the 97th annual meeting of The Endocrine Society in San Diego. The study was conducted on diabetic mice given onion extract along with the antidiabetic drug metformin.

The lead researcher, Anthony Ojieh from Delta State University explained that onions have the potential to be a companion to diabetes therapy, because they are cheap and easy to get.

"Bawang bombai is cheap and easy to get and has been used as a nutritional supplement. This onion has the potential to be used in the treatment of diabetic patients," said Anthony Ojieh, quoted from the Get Surrey website on Thursday, May 14, 2026.

In the study, the researchers gave several doses of onion extract to diabetic mice. The results showed that certain doses were able to significantly lower fasting blood sugar levels.

"Bawang extract, at doses of 400 mg and 600 mg, significantly reduced fasting blood sugar levels in diabetic mice by 50 percent and 35 percent, respectively," Ojieh reported in the study results.

However, researchers emphasized that the exact mechanism of how onions lower blood sugar still needs to be studied further.

"We need to investigate the mechanism of how onions cause a decrease in blood glucose levels. We don't have an explanation yet," he added.

In addition, this study also found that onion extract increased weight in non-diabetic mice, possibly due to increased metabolism and appetite.

"Onions are not high in calories. However, it seems that onions increase the metabolic rate and increase appetite, which leads to increased food intake," explained Ojieh.

Although the results of the study look promising, it is important to understand that this study is still being conducted on experimental animals, not humans. This means that the claim "blood sugar drops by 50 percent" cannot be directly equated with type 2 diabetics.

Maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise, and consulting a doctor remain the main steps in managing diabetes. Vegetables such as onions can be part of a healthy diet, but not a substitute for medical treatment.