Why is the weather so extreme recently? Sometimes it could be extremely hot, but then suddenly the weather change and the rain fall heavily. The extreme weather and climate change often makes our body immune decrease and makes us vulnerable from suffering various diseases.
Usually, it can cause us suffering fever and cold. If you got nasally sounding sound, your nose begin to pull out mucus as well as the phlegm comes from the throat with a fever, those are become the signs that the flu virus has attacked your immune. You may also read Health Benefits Sweet Yam Leaves
There are various ways to be done to prevent and cure cold symptoms; by consuming chemical drugs or by using alternative treatment (herbal). But, don’t be too quick to take chemical drugs, just go to your kitchen and look for onions. And then what? Why should onion? Because surprisingly onions can cure your cold and flu symptoms. You may also read Health Benefits of Whiskey for Cold Remedy
Onions, since the Roman era is believed to be able to treat cold symptoms. It has been used as herbal medicine for various diseases, such as fever, cough, abdominal pains, headache, sinusitis, blood pressure problems, high cholesterol, and etc.
Although every time when we do slicing onions, it will make us crying but not with the benefit onions’ get they will definitely make us happy. Onions are full of health benefits; whether it is white, red, yellow they are all rich with nutrition that beneficial for our health.
Consuming onions can make the production of leukocytes increase that will boost immune system (you may also read Health Benefits of Canadian Whiskey. Besides that, onions will be useful to help to loosen congestion and expand the airways.
This happens because onions have vitamin C properties, mineral such as selenium, enzymes, and sulfur substances which are beneficial for the immunity systems of a person who suffers cold symptoms. Not only that, onions also are rich source of antivirus, antibacterial, and antioxidant. Here are the benefits of onions for cold and flu symptoms.
Nutrition Information of Onion
The nutritional value of onion per 100 g are described in the following.
- 166 kJ (40Kcal) calorie
- 9.34 g carbohydrates
- 4.24 g sugars
- 1.7 g dietary fiber
- 0.1 g fat
- 1.1 g protein
- 0.046 mg thiamine (B1)
- 0.027 mg riboflavin (B2)
- 0.116 mg niacin (B3)
- 0.123 mg panthotenic acid (B5)
- 0.12 mg vitamin B6
- 19 µg folate (B9)
- 7.4 mg vitamin C
- 23 mg calcium
- 0.21 mg iron
- 10 mg magnesium
- 0.129 mg manganese
- 29 mg phosphorus
- 146 mg potassium
- 0.17 mg zinc
- 89.11 g water
- 1.1 µg fluoride
So how do actually onions cure the cold and flu symptoms?
Let’s review and go back to thousands year ago to find out that onions literally has been used for ages to cure cold and flu symptoms. Onions had been honored by Ancient China for its usage for relieving congestion. On the other hand, Native American used onions for fight against common cold.
The surprising fact about onions is it has been admitted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to help relieving cold symptoms including congestion, coughs, bronchitis, and any other respiratory infections. You may also read Health Benefits of Onion
Do you still remember that our parents in the old days often place the sliced onions beside our bed at night, or put it anywhere around the house, just to prevent us from getting cold? Scientist explains this phenomenon is that onions have ability to clean the air in the room and absorb the germs in the air and prevent them to enter our body. Germs are claimed as the one which responsible for ailments.
Not only to purify the room, but it also can cleanse our blood by putting the sliced onion on the skin of the foot and keeping it a sock. Late, this purification process is claimed can treat cold symptoms. There is the evidence to support the onion that could be a remedy sock home.
It comes from a 2002 review that shows online is rich in sulphuric compounds including thiosulfinates, sulfoxides, and other odorous cysteine sulfoxides.
Onions are also rich in the antioxidant quercetin. Quercetin is beneficial for the body to fight against free-radical, and boost the immune response. It will be useful to keep our health condition remains healthy even in the extreme weather. Thus, that’s the benefits of onions for cold and flu symptoms.
Precautions and Warnings
Basically, onions are safe when it is taken by mouth in the form of food like a herbal drink and salad, or when it is applied to the skin in the form of sliced onions. However, there are some side effects for this bulb vegetable.
When you use in large amount and almost every day use onions, you will suffer skin irritation or eczema, your eyes are tearing because it is contacted with the aroma of the onions, and stomach distress.
Below are the type of people with their conditions that makes them are not suggested to consume onions.
- Allergic people: that is the people who are allergic too mugwort and celery have possibility to suffer the same allergy with onions.
- Ones who conduct putting a pouch near the anus surgery: they are the people that went through surgery in the anus areal by consuming onions it will make the gas increased.
- Bleeding history: onions have tendency to slow blood clotting. When you have wound in the part of your body, don’t take onions as your medicine because it will increase the risk of bleeding.
- In-digestive problems: don’t eat too many onions because it can increase the symptoms of indigestion.
Recipe of Onions for Curing Cold Symptoms
There are five ways we can use to cure the cold symptoms.
- Chew an onion that is sliced before every 3 or 4 hours per day.
- Chop 3-4 onions and wait for a couple of hours. It doesn’t matter if you wanted to add honey or olive oil. Chew up three times a day.
- Put 3-4 onions that also have been chopped and a glass of water. Mix them well, and drink it as soon as you can. Do this way every day.
- Peel all the onions, store it in a bottle and add honey. Leave it for a week, store it in the refrigerator. Eat 2-3 onions every time you got cold symptoms.
- Make it into herbal beverages by blending onions, tomatoes, basil, and salt. Drink this herbal every day.
Recommendation Intake
How many amounts of onion it is recommended for us to take is depend on some factors like the age, health condition, etc. Up to this time, there is no trusted scientific information about the doses of onions intake. But just remember that natural products or herbal medicine are not always safe and dosages can be important.
Considering the precautions and warnings, we should not consume onions in large amount, because basically to much things is not good.