PLANT POWER: The onion – eye wateringly good
March 30, 2019 • 1 min read
We’re a planet of rampant onion eaters, chomping our way through 70 million tonnes of the pungent tear-inducing bulb vegetable each year.
What’s up Libya? No other country eats more onions. Libyans consume on average 34 kilograms of onions each year – more than three times the amount eaten by the British (9.3 kg per head).
Cancer-fighting phytonutrients and flavonoids
Onions just might be the best pound-for-pound cancer-fighting vegetable on the planet. They’re chockfull of phytonutrients (promoting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity) and flavonoids – which studies show may help reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Onions (as well as buckwheat tea – who knew!) are loaded with a flavonoid called quercetin, which acts as an antioxidant linked to preventing cancer, promoting prostate health, and lowering blood pressure.
Enough to make you cry.