I'll post below a portion of Ralph Moss's February 11 column on the health benefits of eating onions. Cornell Univeristy scientists recently tested 10 varieties of onions for their phenolic and flavonoid content and their antioxidant and anti-cancer activity. Quote:
The Cornell scientists also exposed various cancer cell lines to these onion varieties to see what effect the onions had on cell proliferation. The most effective of all in inhibiting cancer cells were - again - shallots, followed by New York Bold, Western Yellow and Northern Reds. The rest of the varieties all demonstrated weak anti-proliferative activity against these cancer cell lines. "These results may influence consumers toward purchasing onion varieties exhibiting greater potential health benefits," the authors wrote.
I know these results will influence my own shopping habits. The next time I purchase onions I will be looking for Western Yellow, New York Bold and/or Northern Red (a particularly good variety for salads). I will also get some shallots when my budget can afford them and they look nice and plump. Sweet onions, such as Vidalias or Maya, are indeed delicious and relatively inexpensive. But they simply do not convey a fraction of the health benefits of yellow or red onions, or of shallots.
Thanks for this information about onions. HEre in Cyprus our onions don't have names, only colors. Is is safe to assume that yellow and red onions IN GENERAL are better than white ones?
Thanks
LisaÂ
Lisa,
Yes, I think you can assume that red and yellow onions in general will have health benefits. Shallots fared better than any of the onion varieties in most categories, so they're important, too. According to Moss, onions grown in sulfur-containing soils cause the onions to have a sharper taste than sweet varieties like Vidalia and Maya onions grown in soil without sulfur. So, look for red and yellow onions that aren't sweet for the best health benefits, since these varieties showed better anti-cancer properties in the research.
Thanks for the info- I plant onions with my roses to keep the aphids away but now I will switch to shallots and harvest more often-
Great idea, Portlandrose. You are inspiring me to plant some shallots of my own, even though I don't have the roses to go along with them.
Cathy
Lisa- I am no expert on onions but I have often read that fruit and veggie colors are good- yes, yellow and read are probably more healthful than white.
Cathy-
The therapies S.D.I. to be emailed in about two weeks will focus on onions and the benefits of organic vs. conventional- in other words, the list below rates the antioxidant benefits of onions and if you buy organic instead of conventional you receive even greater antioxidant benefit-
Onions-
"Leaving aside the antioxidant-rich shallots, the onions were ranked as
follows for antioxidant activity:
1. Western Yellow
2. New York Bold
3. Northern Red
4. Mexico
5. Empire Sweet
6. Western White
7. Peruvian Sweet
8. Texas 1015
9. Imperial Valley Sweet
10. Vidalia"
Organic vs. conventional excerpt-Â
"A study carried out by Professor Carlo Leifert, at the Tesco Centre for Organic Agriculture at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, has found that food grown organically — particularly fruits, vegetables and milk — are more nutritious than those produced by conventional methods.
How much more nutritious? According to the four-year study, the organic foods contained up to more than 40 percent more antioxidants than non-organic. Leifert said the difference is equivalent to eating an additional serving of fruits and vegetables each day, and could reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. The study also found high levels of minerals such as iron and zinc in organic produce."
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