Red Onions Are Superstar Flavanoids | Don't Overpeel

It’s tough finding a sensual image of a red onion, but this one qualifies.We just have to share it. via

In our promotion of eating sexual wellness foods, we’ve emphasized the powers of garlic and ginger over onions as a vasodilator. The WHFoods in-depth look at onions reminds us that garlic is researched more extensively than the health benefits of onions on humans.

Red onions are superstars though in amount of flavonoids, outperforming garlic and leeks and also tomatoes, carrots and red bell pepper.

In the French diet — of constant interest to medical researchers — only six vegetables (artichoke heart, parsley, Brussels sprouts, shallot, broccoli, and celer) have a higher polyphenol content.

Not overpeeling the onion is critical. Americans are obsessed with killing germs and tend to take off more layers of an onion than is necessary. A red onion looses about 20% of its quercetin and 75% of its anthocyanins. 

While the health benefits of quercetin are more linked to its collaborative effect, anthocyanins are stronly linked to oxidative stress protection generally. Much current research is related to the benefits of anthocyanins in cardiovascular function and protection, but the results, say the NIH website, aren’t clear yet.

We now that rates of heart disease are significantly lower in France, especially in the south. That health fact is also tied to significantly lower rates of obesity in France. From our perspective, the role of red onions in the French diet warrants adding them often to our daily diet.

More reading:

Short List Foods for Sexual Wellness