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Are Organic Onions Better than Conventional?
Onions contain vitamins, minerals and powerful polyphenols that have significant therapeutic value.
Onions contain antioxidants, including flavonoids and quercetin that enhance health in many ways. Onions also contain iron, folate, thiamine and potassium, plus vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid. The nutrients in onions can benefit your brain, digestive system and heart.
Onions are anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-diabetic and anti-carcinogenic.
It seems that the more colorful an onion is, the more flavonoids are contained in that onion and that equates to more nutrition.
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Kaempferol that is contained in onions, may help to prevent oxidative damage to our cells and DNA. According to Phytochemicals.com, Kaempferol is a chemo-preventive agent that may “prevent arteriosclerosis by inhibiting the oxidation of low density lipoprotein and the formation of platelets in the blood".
Myricetin, which is in onions, can help to fight inflammation, oxidative stress and may help to control diabetes.
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Anthocyanins are another important antioxidant that occur in onions. This nutrient is responsible for the bright color in the red and purple onions, as they are in red cabbage, red and purple grapes, certain berries, kale and beets. Anthocyanins can possibly be used to battle breast and colorectal cancer cells.
Numerous sulfur compounds in onions and garlic, can play an important role in cancer prevention.
Inulin, a water-soluble fiber found in onions, is a prebiotic that helps nourish beneficial bacteria in your body.
Why Organic Onions?Scientists came to the conclusion that organic onions are better than conventional.
Scientists conducted a six-year study on two onion varieties, Hyskin and Red Baron, examining the effects of conventional, organic and mixed cultivation practices on many of the bioactive compounds previously listed, such as flavonoids, individual flavonols and anthocyanins, in part for their antioxidant capacity.
At the end of the study, all were higher in the organic onions, with differences, they wrote, “primarily due to different soil management practices used in organic agriculture rather than pesticide/ herbicide application.”