The use of onions: the benefits and harm to health

Onion - perennial herb belonging to the family onion. Homeland plants - Southwest Asia.

One of the most common vegetable crops. It is used in cooking, medicine, cosmetology.

Caloric content and chemical composition of onion

Onions contain from 8 to 14% of fructose, maltose, sucrose, 2% of proteins. Bulbs are rich in vitamins of group B, E, ascorbic acid; in the composition found flavonoid quercetin, saponins, phosphorus, iron, and essential oil, the presence of which causes a specific aroma and sharp taste.Iodine, malic and citric acids, pectins and glycosides are found in green leaves.

Onions have a calorie per 100 g - 41 kcal; 100 g contains 1.4 g of proteins, 10.4 g of carbohydrates.

Useful properties of onion

The usefulness of onions for the body is manifested in the fact that phytoncides, which are emitted by onions, contribute to the destruction of pathogenic bacteria and ciliates, and volatile phytoncids kill diphtheria and tuberculosis sticks. Onions stimulate appetite, have diuretic, bactericidal and antiseptic properties, increase the secretion of digestive juices.

The benefits and harm of onions for women lies in its ability to help with delay and absence of menstruation, cure algomenorrhea, but at the same time pregnant women are forbidden to use it in order not to provoke a miscarriage or dangerous uterine bleeding.

The benefits of onions for men reflected in the ability of the vegetable to cure inflammation of the prostate gland, to establish sexual function.In addition, onions, as physicians believe, are a good adaptogen that helps with jet lag. Onion juice relieves a wasp sting.

Use in folk medicine: onion treatment

Onions are very popular in traditional medicine. Onions treat a myriad of diseases: colds, bronchitis, hypertension, disorders of the urogenital system, sprains of joints, helminthiasis, gastrointestinal disorders, atherosclerosis.

With a cold

Using a bow will help with inflammation of the nasal mucosa. To do this, chop the onion finely, pour 200 ml of warm boiled water, add a tablespoon of honey and leave for an hour in a dark place. Rinse the nose with the mixture 6 times a day.

Will have a positive impact on the patient's condition onion vapor inhalation several times a day for 15 minutes. It is well known that honey with onions softens the mucous membrane of the nose, its benefits in rhinitis are very large.

To see this, you can try another recipe. onion infusion: 2 tbsp. lcrushed onion pour 2 cups boiled water, insist 2 hours and strain. Add to the infusion 1, 5 cups of honey and 2 tsp. sea ​​salt, mix well and rinse the nose and mouth cavity 3 times a day until completely cured.

With ears stuffy

Bearing in mind what vitamins are in the onion, you can come to the conclusion that by using it, you can really get rid of many ailments, one of which is ear congestion. This unpleasant process can be caused by several factors: otitis, sulfuric stoppers, cold, etc.

Can cope with stuffiness onion ear drops. To prepare them, you must squeeze the juice from the fresh onion and dilute it with vodka in a ratio of 1: 4. To bury in ears in the morning and in the evening. In addition, you can make a gruel of onion, wrap it in cotton wool and put in the ear canal. However, these drugs can not be used for purulent otitis.

With sprains

Effective with this type of injury is onion and sugar wrap. These components reduce pain by stretching. At first it is necessary to soak gauze with vegetable oil, put onions onion mixed with sugar in a 1: 1 ratio, and finally fix the compress with a tight dressing. Change this tool is worth twice a day.

With boils and abscesses

Traditional medicine has long been aware of the benefits of onions in the treatment of furunculosis.

Onions draws pus from ripe boils and accelerates their very maturation.

The onion is cut in half across the bulb and placed on a pan and kept on low heat for 10 minutes, then applied to the affected area.

You can bake the onions in the oven, lay them on plates, remove the film from each and put it on the boil. It will be necessary to change the plates as the pus outflows. There is another cooking option: after baking, chop the onions to a state of gruel, mix with soap.

Onion helps alleviate suffering with abscess. Boil the onion in milk or bake in the oven, then quickly attach to the boil and bandage. Also baked onions are mixed with grated soap, and the resulting mass is applied to purulent inflammation of the tissues, replacing every four hours.

With hypertension

Onion in traditional medicine is used to relieve hypertensive crises. Favors low blood pressure a mixture of onions, honey and lemon zest. Squeeze a glass of onion juice, mix with one glass of honey and 100 g of crushed zest,take an hour before meals three times a day for three months. The mixture normalizes the cardiovascular system, strengthen the immune system.

Fresh onion juice for flu

Fresh Juice promotes recovery from flu. Grate 50 g of onion, add 2 tbsp. l vinegar, mix thoroughly and squeeze through cheesecloth. To the mixture add 2 tbsp. l honey Apply 1 tsp. every 30 minutes. Onions are very useful for strengthening the immune system, protecting the body from various infections from outside.

Tincture of onions for bronchitis

Onion tincture - A good expectorant for bronchitis. Preparing the tincture is simple: put finely chopped onion in a glass dish, cover with sugar and leave for three hours at room temperature. Take the drug three times a day and 1 tbsp. l

Onion juice is often taken for bronchitis and its benefits are very tangible and proven by the examples of many people who share their stories on the web in various forums. There is such tincture option: in 1 liter of water dissolve a glass of sugar, put on the fire, bring to the consistency of syrup and add 2 onions with husks. Boil the tincture until the onion is 2 times smaller.Use the juice obtained 2 times a day before meals for ½ cup.

Infusion of onions from worms

To get rid of worms, traditional medicine offers the following recipe: 2 large onions, finely chop and pour 500 ml of boiling water, insist 12 hours and drink the resulting infusion of onions 30 minutes before a meal, 3 tbsp. l three times a day. This type of tincture is more suitable. for kids.

Adults may try this variation: 100 g of chopped onion pour vodka in a 1.5 liter bottle and insist 10 days. Drink 1 tbsp. l an hour before meals.

Blue onion helps to treat the liver: it improves its work and is a prophylactic against cirrhosis

How to use onions in cosmetology

Beauticians have long noticed the abundance of vitamins and minerals in this vegetable and use onions for the beauty of hair and skin.

Dandruff

Onions as a means of fighting dandruff used in the old days. Onion mask It has a beneficial effect on the scalp, saturating it with trace elements and vitamins. 2 tbsp. l chopped in onion grinder mix with 1 tsp. alcohol, rub into the scalp, cover with a film and wrap a towel on top for 1 hour, then rinse with warm water and rinse with shampoo to remove residues.

You can offer another mask recipe: 2 tbsp. l fresh onion juice mixed with 1 tbsp.l garlic juice, add 1 yolk, 1 tbsp. l cognac. Separately mix 2 tbsp. l burdock oil and 3 drops of rosemary oil, combine the two mixtures, mix, rub into the scalp, wrap the head with a plastic bag for 20 minutes.

Solve the problem of dandruff will help onion peel. Pour 50 g of husk 1 liter boiling water and leave for 40 minutes. Rinse the hair with this infusion after each wash.

Dry dandruff will disappear after application castor mask: 1 tbsp. l grated onions mixed with 2 tbsp. l castor oil and add 2 tbsp. l vodka, rubbed into the scalp 40 minutes before washing.

To strengthen hair

Rubbing fresh onion juice with honey and cologne in the scalp before washing - effective way to strengthen the hair structure. This mixture is rubbed, covered with film and a towel, hold for three hours and washed off. The tool makes hair silky and strong.

The next mask improves hair growth and helps against hair loss: 4 parts of the filtered onion juice are mixed with 6 parts of burdock root decoction and 1 part of brandy, rubbed 2 hours before washing into the scalp, warming the head, washed off with birch infusion.

Onion peel strengthens the hair and its benefits for the roots is enormous: compacts their structure, makes it shiny and glossy.

Skin care

Moisturizes dry skin favors mask of onions and oatmeal. Boil thick porridge from ½ cup of oatmeal, add freshly squeezed onion juice and 5 g of honey. Stir and apply on the skin until completely dry. The mask has a tonic effect, nourishes the skin from the inside.

The following recipe will need girls suffering from acne and excessive oily skin. Cut the medium onion, squeeze the juice from the resulting gruel, simultaneously chop and squeeze the carrot juice. Mix 50 ml of each juice, add 1 yolk and 20 ml of olive or coconut oil. Massage in the face, rub gently and leave for 20 minutes. After applying the mask there is no feeling of tightness, the pores narrow and the work of the sebaceous glands is normalized.

To protect normal and combination skin from the harmful effects of the environment there mask of onion and yeast. 1 tbsp. l dry yeast diluted in 1 tbsp. l milk, add the juice of 1 small onion juice, mix and apply on face for 15 minutes.

Many owners of freckles would like to get rid of this manifestation of pigmentation. Will assist when lightening freckles This mask: Mix 5 ml of vitamin C in ampoules with 50 ml of onion juice, 25 ml of apple cider vinegar and 75 ml of olive oil, add 10 g of honey, half a grated apple and 1 yolk, mix thoroughly and beat all the ingredients. Apply the resulting emulsion with a thick layer exclusively on the areas with freckles. After 15 minutes wash off the mask with mineral water at room temperature.

Increases blood circulation and makes skin cells work 100% mask of onion and lanolin oil. 1 large onion must be mixed with 5 ml of lanolin oil and 2 tbsp. l honey, leave the mixture on the face for 30 minutes, then remove with a wet wipe. Masks from an onion should be done within 3 months 2 times a week.

How to store onions

For long-term storage, you should select healthy large onions, on which there is no damage ... Small and not ripe onions should be put aside and consumed first. Store onions in a dry, dark place in an air-permeable container, preferably in a dedicated drawer in a cupboard or closet.

As a container, you can use wicker baskets that allow air to pass through, wooden or plastic boxes that help save space, cardboard boxes that have holes in the sides and bottom for ventilation of onions, paper or fabric bags or polypropylene nets that allow free air circulation.

Pour onions with chalk or onion peel - this will protect from germination and further decay, the chalk will absorb excess moisture. You should regularly inspect and sort out the stored onions, removing infected bulbs, and also to check whether the vegetable is damp. Damped onions must be dried on the floor or in the oven.

Contraindications and side effects of onions

Undoubtedly, there is a great benefit from onions, but this wonderful vegetable can also bring harm. Onions can irritate the digestive organs and increase the acidity of the stomach, therefore contraindicated in diseases of the liver and kidneys, gastric ulcer, gastritis with high acidity.

Onions also can have a negative effect on the work of the cardiovascular system: it causes irritation of the nervous system, provokes a decrease in blood pressure.It is also dangerous for asthmatics - may cause a seizure.

Therefore, you need as much as you can eat onions without fear for your health - 1-1.5 bulbs per day 3 times a week.

The onion not only enriches the taste of various dishes, but is also actively used in medicine and cosmetology.