Onions, a member of the allium genus, are perennial plants with bulbous underground roots known as rhizomes. The onion was first grown domestically in Iran and has been cultivated for more than 4,700 years, according to James L. Brewster, author of the book "Onions and Other Vegetable Alliums." Aside from their culinary use, onions also provide a variety of medicinal effects, including some related to the lungs and respiratory system.
Sharp Flavor
Onions' sharp flavor and antiseptic properties offer a powerful combination that stimulates the respiratory system, breaks up mucous and kills germs, says Anne McIntyre, author of the book "Drink to Your Health." Onion juice can help clear up sore throats, colds and sinusitis. The stimulating effect of its pungent flavor increases circulation, promoting sweating to speed healing of colds and flu. A variety of bacteria are inhibited by onion's germ-fighting power.
Antimicrobial
A study published in the January 2011 issue of the "Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture" reported that a plant in the onion genus and commonly used as a wild onion showed strong antimicrobial activity against five species of bacteria and two species of fungi. Researchers called for further testing of this and other onion-related plants for possible use as natural antibiotic agents.
Combination Therapy
Onion and honey are an unlikely pair but offer an effective remedy for childhood coughs, says Andrea Candee, author of the book "Gentle Healing for Baby and Child: A Parent's Guide to Child-Friendly Herbs and Other Natural Remedies for Common Ailments and Injuries." Both onions and honey provide antimicrobial benefits and the resulting mixture relieves coughing spasms and is soothing to irritated breathing passages. The component of onions that causes your eyes to water when you slice them also acts as a mild irritant to the lining of the stomach, which sends signals to the lungs to secrete mucous-thinning secretions that cause your eyes and nose to run.
Prebiotics
Onions contain measurable quantities of fructooligosaccharides, also known as prebiotics, a category of sugar molecules that promote the health of beneficial bacteria, according to researchers at the Plant Science Laboratory, Cranfield University, United Kingdom. By providing a food source for probiotic bacteria that inhabit the respiratory system, onions may help ward off infection.
Antioxidants
Antioxidant benefits in the form of anthocyanins, the pigment that gives red onions their color, and the sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine make onions useful in prevention and treatment of respiratory infections, say researchers of a study published in the November 2002 issue of the journal "Phytotherapy Research." Antiasthmatic and antibiotic effects of onions have been documented.
References
- "Drink to Your Health"; Anne McIntyre; 2000
- "Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture"; Chemical Composition and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oil of Allium Sphaerocephalon L. Subsp. Sphaerocephalon (Liliaceae) Inflorescences; J.Lazarevic, etal.; January 2011
- "Gentle Healing for Baby and Child: A Parent's Guide to Child-Friendly Herbs ... "; Andrea Candee; 2003
- "Talanta"; A New Acetonitrile-free Mobile Phase Method for Lc-elsd Quantification of Fructooligosaccharides in Onion (Allium Cepa L.); K. Downes, etal.; 2010
- "Phytotherapy Research"; Onions--a Global Benefit to Health; G. Griffiths, etal.; November 2002
- "Onions and Other Vegetable Alliums"; James Brewster; 2008
