How Onions Help Cancer Prevention

Multiple studies report that several different types of cancer cells are diminished when scientists place the cells with onions extracts. One study at Cornell University noted that color and variety have a lot to do with the types of cancer they're most effective against. Shallots, Western Yellow, pungent yellow and Northern Red onions have more anticancer chemicals than other varieties tested. The study explained:

"Phenolics and flavonoids are types of phytochemicals — antioxidant chemicals that protect plants against bacteria, viruses and fungi. Phenolics and flavonoids, like other antioxidants, help prevent cancer by mopping up cell-damaging free radicals and inhibiting the production of reactive substances that could damage normal cells."

Lead study author Dr. Rui Hai Liu noted that shallots and the yellow onion varieties are effective against liver cancer cells, and the two yellows are best against colon cancer cells. In fact, Western Yellow onions had 11 times the number of flavonoids compared with the onion with the least, the Western White variety.

A 2016 study also associated allium vegetable consumption with decreased risk of cancer, particularly cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as "decreased bioactivation of carcinogens, antimicrobial activities, and redox modification," meaning a reduced oxidation rate. Onions and other allium vegetables are observed to prevent or suppress several types of cancer, including: Kidney, Oral cavity, Breast, Endometrial, Ovarian, Lung, Gastric, Colorectal, Esophageal, Liver, Stomach and Prostate.

If you love onions, it's great to know you need go no further than your own backyard garden to get some of the most powerful, cancer-killing foods on Earth. It should be noted from the same study that:

"Altering dietary habits may be a practical and cost-effective means of reducing cancer risk and modifying tumor behavior. Approximately 30 to 40 percent of cancers are preventable by appropriate food and nutrition, physical activity, and maintenance of healthy body weight.

This means choosing foods that help to maintain a healthy body weight, reducing consumption of foods such as … processed meats that may increase cancer risk, and increasing consumption of foods that may decrease cancer risk."

Article Source: mercola.com

How Onion Compounds Lower Your Cancer and Other Disease Risks

If you ever wondered if onions offer health benefits, you'll be glad to know they certainly do. As an allium vegetable, one of the most important aspects of the phytonutrients in onions involves the affect they have on cancer. One of the most interesting aspects of the pungency of onions is that the more flavor they have, the more effectively they combat cancer. In fact, to lower your cancer risk, eat more onions.

Several antioxidant, cancer-fighting compounds in onions include the flavonoid quercetin, anthocyanins and sulfur compounds like onionin A (ONA), S-allylcysteine (SAC) and S-methylcysteine (SMC), and diallyl disulfide (DDS), as well as potent phenols and flavonoids. Other flavonoids, glutathione, selenium compounds and vitamins E and C are also compounds that adversely affect cancer cells.

Quercetin, studies indicate, decreases cancerous tumor initiation and inhibits the proliferation of cultured ovarian, breast and colon cancer cells. It's also associated with a decreased risk for brain cancer and a lower risk of lung cancer, even if you smoke.  Onionin A, as another example, has been found in studies to be protective against epithelial ovarian cancer, the most common type of ovarian cancer, because it slows its growth, and was also found to slow the activity of other cancer types.

In fact, onions deliver more flavonoids than many other foods, which is amazing because these powerful phytonutrients have been linked to a decreased risk of diabetes and heart disease as well as cancer. They also have the distinction of being antiallergenic, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory.

Article Source: mercola.com