5 Surprising Onion Benefits for the Whole Family

Onions are easily the most all-purpose vegetable in the kitchen. As varied as its uses are in the kitchen, they are just as useful in everyday life for many reasons. Onion benefits not only your palate but also your health, beauty and overall well-being. Check out these 5 surprising onion benefits that you probably never knew!
Onions are used as the base to almost all soups, an add-in to pizza, salads and pastas as well as the foundation to many sauces and dips. They are incredibly versatile and offer a slew of benefits to you – ingested, applied to the body or simply by being in the same room as you. Here are 5 onion benefits you don’t want to miss.
1. Soothe a Sore Throat
Onions have strong anti-inflammation properties and also act as a natural antibiotic. They also contain quercetin, which has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Onions are thus very helpful for a sore throat. To treat a sore throat with onions, chop six onions and place in a double boiler with 3/4 cup honey. Let heat for 2 hours. Strain and sip on the solution regularly throughout the day.
2. Remove a Splinter
It sounds strange, but an onion indeed helps to remove a splinter cleanly and effectively. Because of its antibacterial properties, it helps to keep the affected area clean while it helps to draw the splinter out of the skin. Simply apply a slice of onion and rub its juices and fiber against the splinter lightly until the splinter comes to the surface.
3. Center Yourself
Who needs a relaxing bath to center your mind? Sometimes, when you are caught up in a mind fog, feeling dizzy or loopy or stuck without concentration, simply slice an onion in half and get a whiff of the onion’s fumes. Be sure to close your eyes as to not start “crying”. Try it out and see if it works for you.
4. Clean the Grill
Onions are juicy and fibrous (as well as antibacterial) and make for a great grill cleaner. Cut an onion in half and poke a fork in the round side of the onion half and rub the cut side along the grill until clean.
5. Treat a Flu
There is not concrete evidence to support this, but it is a practice that has been repeated around the world in many different cultures and has stood the test of time. Cut an onion in half and place both halves in a bowl, cut sides up, and put in a room of a person with a flu. Leave it like that overnight and the onion will effectively “absorb” the flu. Onions are absorbent and are considered a “dirty” vegetable for this reason and when cut, should be used immediately as not to absorb toxins in the air.
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Photo Credit: Eunice