We are generally known the fruits and vegetables have a lot
of benefits for human health. But lot people didn’t know that the shell of
various fruits and vegetables full of antioxidants and other beneficial
nutrients that can improve human health.
As a good example, shell of onion is inedible but at the
same time is full of quercetin, a powerful antioxidant that regulates blood
pressure and preventing cardiovascular disease, including atherosclerosis.
So, if you add the shell of the onion into any regular meal,
including soup, it will strengthen your meal with powerful antioxidant and
other beneficial nutrients.
It is a fact that onion is one of the healthiest vegetables
on the planet. It is known for its strong antibacterial properties. It is great
for balancing blood sugar levels, stop bleeding from the nose, the destruction
of cancer cells, but also strengthen the immune system by means of vitamin C.
Darker onion has more phytonutrients
Dark onion, unlike the light onion, contains higher amounts
of quercetin, bioflavonoids, which are excellent for the fight against free
radicals in the body. In addition, quercetin is excellent in the fight against
cancer, fungal and bacterial infections and inflammation.
According to many studies, it effectively prevents and
controls the formation of polyps that fought against the virus to treat
psoriasis and to stop the occurrence of herpes. Darker onion is associated with
a reduced risk of developing stomach cancer.
According to one study, only half of the onion a day can
reduce the risk of stomach cancer by half.
The health benefits of shells
Scientists from Cranfield University in the UK made a
research and concluded that onion shell can be used as an ingredient rich in
dietary fiber, mostly insoluble, and phenolic compounds such as quercetin and
other flavonoids.
It is important to say that the other two “fleshy” layers
are of onion rich in fiber and flavonoids.
Researchers say that the introduction of fiber reduces the
risk of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases, and diabetes, colon
cancer and obesity.
Phenolic compounds are those which mostly effectively
prevent the occurrence of heart disease. Large amounts of these compounds with
strong antioxidant properties can be found in the outer layers of the onion
shell.
How to use the shell of onions to improve the health?
It is recommended to put one or two whole onions (unpeeled)
in a soup or stew in order to extract quercetin and other healthy compounds
from the shell of onions.
Another option is to save the shell and insert them before
cooking it in a pan in a sock. Remove the shell when the soup starts to boil.
Source : healthadvisor-team
