Onion

The unique combination of flavonoids and sulfur nutrients make onions a valuable and necessary part of your daily meal. It is a biennial 12-18 inches crop producing a prominent bulb. The leaves are hollow cylindrical and the roots are shallow. The onion crop requires complete sun, rich nitrogenous soil and appropriate water content for ideal growth.

History

Onions have a rich heritage of history dating back to Bronze Age in 5000 BC. Egyptians started their cultivation some two thousand years later and considered it sacred, believing that the concentric cocoons symbolized eternal life. The crop then sought high usage among Greeks, North Americans and Romans.

Purpose/Use

The onion bulb is widely used across the world for adding flavor to the food items. French onion soup and onion chutney explain the hearty ingredient. Raw onion can be served in salads and pickles. Though the veggie is consumed when the bulb grows large and mature, young harvestations are also widely used as scallions. Further, powdered onion is used as a spice in cooking.

Moving to its non edible uses, onion skin is used as a dye. Historically, onions were prescribed by doctors in cases of headaches, coughs, snakebite and hair loss.

Benefits & Features

The nutritional ingredients in onion are vitamins A,B,C,E, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, carotene and amino acids. It has been found effective for heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, cholesterol and cancer. The greater the content of phenols and flavonoids, the better they serve as anticancer and antioxidants. They also prevent sore throat, reduce swellings by bee stings and heal blisters.