A Series Of Good Onion Content For Health

Illustration of onions that is good for health (Freepic)

JAKARTA - Consuming whole onions is safe and has a variety of useful nutritional ingredients, including antioxidants and prebiotic fibers that are good for the health of the body.

"Bambay onions have low calories and less high carbohydrate content," said Jessica Cording, RD, a nutritionist and writer, as quoted from the Popsugar page.

Meanwhile, Scott Keatley, RD, registered dietist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietics member, as well as co-founder of the Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy, said onions are rich in antioxidants, especially quercetin, which is known to have anti-inflammatory effects.

Keatley also explained that someone who consumes onions will get vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, potassium, and phytochemical intake that supports heart health.

In addition, onions function as prebiotics, namely food for good bacteria (postbiotics) in the intestines. This helps maintain the balance of gut microbiomes and improve digestive health, explains Keri Gans, RD, dietist and author of The Small Change Diet.

The onions also contain sulfur compounds with antibacterial properties, which can help fight bacteria in the mouth that cause gum disease and tooth damage, Keatley added.

Although useful, consuming whole onions may not be suitable for everyone, especially because it contains fruktan, a type of carbohydrate that can be difficult to digest by some people.

"For people with gut irritation syndrome, consuming large amounts of onions can cause discomfort," said Keatley.

Due to the risk of digestive disorders, Cording suggests trying it little by little to see the body's reaction before eating onions in full.

Also pay attention to the use of spices when cooking boiled onions, because some recipes use large amounts of butter and oil.

The process of boiling onions can reduce some of the vitamins that are soluble in water such as vitamin C, but onions still keep other useful compounds after cooking.

a