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A few years ago, Aunt Li, a 52-year-old aunt who lives in a small town in the north, learned that several of her relatives and friends had developed cancer, which cast a shadow on her heart.
Aunt Li is very concerned about her health, and she heard that onions are rich in antioxidants and help fight tumors, so she decided to insist on eating raw onions every day, hoping to fight the threat of cancer.
At first, the spicy taste of raw onions made her a little difficult to accept, and tears always flowed involuntarily. But she remembered the responsibility on her shoulders and her elderly parents, so she gritted her teeth and persevered, day after day.
She believes that eating onions raw will make her healthier and may even prevent cancer.
A year later, Aunt Li participated in the annual physical examination as usual, thinking that this year's improvement in health awareness and diet would bring good news.
However, the physical examination report showed that she had obvious symptoms of stomach discomfort and her blood sugar level was also elevated.
The doctor told her that eating raw onions on an empty stomach for a long time could irritate the stomach lining and cause stomach problems.
In addition, although onions do have a certain antioxidant effect, they are not a panacea for cancer, and they alone cannot effectively prevent the occurrence of cancer.
According to relevant studies, onions do contain a lot of antioxidants, such as quercetin and sulfide, which have been shown to have a certain inhibitory effect on the growth of tumor cells.
The United States Cancer Society also pointed out that eating vegetables and fruits rich in antioxidants can indeed reduce the risk of cancer to some extent.
However, scientists also emphasize that a single food cannot completely prevent or cure cancer, and that an anti-cancer diet requires a reasonable combination of a variety of foods, and that a balanced diet and maintaining a good lifestyle are the keys to preventing cancer.
Therefore, the practice of relying on a single food to fight cancer like Aunt Li may not only fail to achieve the desired effect, but may even cause other adverse effects on the body.
1. Can eating raw onions "kill" cancer cells?
Many people have heard that onions have anti-cancer effects, especially eating raw onions, which are believed by many people to be able to "kill" cancer cells, so some people like Aunt Li insist on eating onions every day, hoping to protect their health.
In fact, onions do contain some ingredients that are beneficial to health, the most commonly mentioned is an antioxidant called quercetin.
This substance has a certain neutralizing effect on free radicals in the body, and free radicals are an important factor that leads to cell aging and cancer, so from this point of view, eating onions does have certain health benefits.
In addition to this, there are some sulfides in onions, which are thought to help inhibit the growth of cancer cells, and some laboratory studies have also shown that the ingredients in onions can inhibit certain cancer cells in test tubes.
It may sound good, whether eating onions is equivalent to putting yourself in an "anti-cancer" protective suit, but things are not that simple.
To be clear, although antioxidants and quercetin are present in onions, their role is limited, and they may have an inhibitory effect on cancer cells in an experimental setting, but the situation in real life is much more complicated.
The human body itself is a very complex system, and whether the active ingredients in food can really play a role in the body is affected by many factors, such as intake, absorption efficiency, personal physique, etc.
And onion is not a "panacea" for cancer, although it contains some ingredients that are beneficial to health, but it is impossible to completely prevent or cure cancer by eating onions, especially raw onions.
Antioxidants do help neutralize free radicals in the body, but that doesn't mean they can directly "kill" cancer cells.
The causes of cancer are complex, and it's not just caused by free radicals. There are many other factors, such as genetics, environmental pollution, lifestyle habits, etc., which may affect the occurrence of cancer.
So to think that eating raw onions can fight cancer is obviously exaggerating its effects.
Second, it is better to eat onions raw or cooked
Many people know that onions are beneficial, but the question arises as to whether it is better to eat them raw or cooked. Some people think that eating raw onions retains the most primitive nutrients, while others think that cooked food tastes better and is easier to digest.
Onions are highly prized because they are rich in antioxidants and sulfides, such as quercetin.
These ingredients have many health benefits, especially antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Eating onions raw does retain these active ingredients to the maximum, as some nutrients are destroyed during the heating process, such as quercetin, which partially loses its activity at high temperatures. When eaten raw, these nutrients can be ingested more completely.
However, eating raw onions also has its problems, the pungent taste of raw onions comes from the sulfides in them, these substances have a certain stimulating effect on the stomach, especially eating raw onions on an empty stomach, which may cause stomach discomfort and even cause damage to the gastric mucosa.
If you have stomach problems or have a sensitive stomach, eating raw onions may upset your stomach and even lead to gastritis and other problems.
Many people can't stop crying because they are not used to the taste of raw onions, and they will feel that their throats are hot, which is also related to the irritation of onions.
In contrast, cooked onions make the pungency much less, the taste is milder, and the stomach is less irritating.
While some of the nutrients are destroyed during the heating process, some other beneficial components are brought out.
For example, during cooking, the polysaccharides in onions will become more easily absorbed by the body, and the effect on the immune system may be more obvious.
Cooked onions also have a natural sweetness that makes them more acceptable to eat, making it a better choice for people who don't like the pungent taste of raw onions.
Some people may be worried about whether the antioxidant effect will be completely lost when cooked, but there is no need to worry so much.
Although some of the antioxidants are lost by heating, ripe onions still retain many of their health benefits.
3. Pay attention to the following 3 points when eating onions
1. People with bad stomach should be careful
Onions are rich in sulfide, which is why it gives you that spicy smell, sulfide has some health benefits, but it also has a side effect, which is that it can irritate the stomach lining.
If you have a sensitive stomach or have stomach problems, eating onions raw may make your stomach upset, especially when eating onions on an empty stomach, the acidic environment in the stomach will exacerbate the irritation of onions, easily cause stomach discomfort, and may even lead to gastritis.
If you have stomach problems, it is best to choose cooked onions to reduce the irritation of the stomach, fried onions, boiled onions taste good, less irritating, and safer to eat.
2. Don't overdo it on onions
Onions are indeed a healthy ingredient, but no matter how good things are, you can't be greedy for too much, eating some onions in moderation every day is good for the body, but if you eat too much, it may be a burden on the digestive system.
Onions contain a lot of fiber and sulfide, excessive intake will make the gastrointestinal tract a little "unbearable", some people may feel that after eating too much onions, stomach bloating, bowel sounds, bloating, which is actually a manifestation of increased gastrointestinal burden.
Eating onions in moderation can help digestion, but excessive amounts can be counterproductive, and if you have already eaten other fiber-rich foods, you don't need to eat too much onions, and it is healthy to control them within a reasonable range.
3. Pay attention to the way you cook
There are many ways to eat onions, but different cooking methods will affect its nutritional value, eating raw onions can retain the quercetin and antioxidants in it to the greatest extent, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits for the body, but raw eating is spicy and stimulating.
Cooked onions have a mild taste, especially for those who have a bad stomach, but you should also pay attention when cooking, too high a temperature or too long will destroy some nutrients in the onion, such as fried for too long and too high, quercetin and other ingredients may be destroyed.
So whether it's fried onions or boiled onions, the heat should not be too big, and the time does not need to be too long, just stir-fry a little, which not only retains the nutrients, but also reduces the spicy taste.
IV. Conclusion
Onion may seem like an ordinary ingredient in our daily lives, but it is like a "hidden master", rich in nutrients and miraculous health benefits.
Although it sometimes brings tears to our eyes, behind these spicy ingredients, there are many ingredients that are good for the body.
Resources
Medicine and Health Care,2009,17(07):29.
[2] Five good eating habits make people live longer[J].Rural Know-it-all,2014,(02):64.)
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