Guest Author - Carolyn Chambers Clark, RN, EdD

Where did onions come from?

Onions are mentioned in the Old Testament. No Egyptian pharaoh's tomb was complete without replicas of onion and garlic.

How were onions used in ancient healing?

Onions were prescribed by ancient doctors for just about any ailment. Medicine was more practical then. If the patient died, the doctor gave up on the remedy.

What can onions do?

Research has shown onions can...

* protect against diabetes or help if you already have it

* treat infection; they are especially good for bladder infections

* reduce cholesterol

* keep blood from clotting

* reduce the incidence of strokes

* lower blood pressure

* break up mucous congestion of colds, flu, allergies

* help prevent cancer

How to buy onions

Don't buy onions that smell acrid or have begun to sprout. Check them for soft spots that could indicate rotting within.

How to keep onions

Store onions in a cool, dry, dark place, not the refrigerator. Onions keep from 2-4 weeks.

How to eat onions

*Eat onions raw in salads or sandwiches.

*Bake onions with potato slices or other vegetables, top with garlic powder and a little olive oil

* Saute onions with other vegetables

* Add to stews, soups and stuff in turkeys or chickens

Sources:

Therapeutic values of onion and garlic. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, volume 34,Number 7, 1996.

Onions, leeks and shallots. Superfoods. NY: Warner Books, 1992