Dried outer skin of Red Onions beneficial to human health

red onions

Red onion is part of very cuisine in our home, but most of us remove the outer part and throw away as waste. Most of us did not know that the outer covering of Red onion is proven having compounds that is beneficial to human health.

In a research publish in the Journal Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, fiber and flavonoids are found in the dried outer skin of onions, and also sulfur compounds and fructans contain is in onion bulb.

According to Vanesa Benitez, a researcher at the Department of Agricultural Chemistry University of Madrid, Spain, "Waste of red onion is a source of valuable natural substances. Because this vegetable is rich in compounds that provide benefits for human health,"

Benitez's research group worked with scientists from Cranfield University UK to perform laboratory experiments. They identify the substance and the possible use of every part of the onion.

The studies show that the dried onion skins contain high fiber diet, especially the ones difficult to dissolve. Likewise it also contains phenolic compounds, such as quercetin and flavonoids, and other metabolites that have medicine properties. Last but not the least the, outer layers of onions also contain fiber and flavonoids.

Thus "Eating fiber reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal complaints, colon cancer, type-2 diabetes and obesity," as added the researchers.

Coronary disease can be prevented by Phenolic compounds, and an anti-carcinogenic. Phenolic compounds in onion skin layers shows onions as a high antioxidant.

Most of our recipe use red onions and next time we include the outer covering so that we don't miss out some health benefits it contain.