Little Step No. 70
What to do:
Choose red onions (and don’t overpeel them!)
Why this step works:
Onions are an absolute staple ingredient. They provide the perfect base for soups, curries or stews and add taste & crunchy texture to salads. Most recipes however tend to call for white onions not red.
This little step encourages you to mix things up and choose red onions sometimes. Instead of white. And to be careful not to over-peel them either.
Here’s why:
Just like capers, onions are a rich source of a powerful phytonutrient called quercetin. This incredible compound is best known for its research-backed potential to support many aspects of immune health, including anti-viral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Quercetin has demonstrated significant potential as a mood-supportive compound too.
It’s likely you’ll need pretty good levels of quercetin in your diet to achieve these benefits, hence why it’s important to choose your foods carefully. Research has shown quercetin levels can vary significantly between different varieties of onions – with red onions providing more than their white counterparts.
The same research also found quercetin to be highest in the outermost onion layers. So whilst you obviously don’t want to be eating the brittle outer skin, be careful not to peel off too many layers, as this is where most of its magical health properties are found.
The simplest of vegetables often provide the most incredible benefits, hope you enjoy this one x
References:
1. Tozsér J, Benko S. Natural compounds as regulators of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated IL-1Beta production. Mediators Inflamm. 2016; 2016: 5460302.
2. Shorobi FM, Nisa FY, et al. Quercetin: A functional food-flavonoid incredibly attenuates emerging and re-emerging viral infections through immunomodulatory actions. Molecules 2023 Jan 17; 28(3): 938
3. Chen S, Tang Y, et al. Antidepressant potential of quercetin and its glycoside derivatives: A comprehensive review and update. Front Pharmacol. 2022; 13: 865376
4. Kwak JH, Seo JM, et al. Variation of quercetin glycoside derivatives in three onion (Allium cepa. L) varieties. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2017 Sep; 24(6): 1387-1391