Who should avoid eating red onions?
Besides adding a sweet and spicy flavor to recipes, red onions are also rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and several important minerals. However, their use still carries some potential risks.
Purple onions are smaller than white, yellow, and red onions. Compared to white and yellow onions, purple onions are described as having a richer and sweeter flavor.
Some people also describe their flavor as stronger, while others say they are more subtle. This seems to depend on size. Smaller tubers tend to have a milder flavor.
The fact that red onions and other types of onions have a pungent taste is actually an indicator of their nutritional value.
Their pungent flavor is thought to indicate their vasodilating properties and their ability to improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation. This is why red onions are known to be a heart-healthy food, just like garlic.
Red onions have powerful anti-cancer properties and help boost immunity. Photo: Getty
In traditional medicine, onions are believed to contain five flavors that foods are classified according to: sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and astringent. Therefore, when cooking, even a small amount of this ingredient can have a significant impact.
Many believe that shallots originated in Central or Southeast Asia thousands of years ago. This vegetable quickly spread from there to India and parts of the eastern Mediterranean, where it remains widely used today.
According to Dr. Phung Tuan Giang, Chairman of the Vietnam Institute for Research and Development of Traditional Medicine, shallots are considered a commonly prescribed herbal remedy for several ailments in traditional medicine.
In fact, it has been used to treat many ailments for thousands of years. Onions are beneficial in reducing inflammation, muscle aches, swelling, and water retention.
Like other similarly flavored herbs, including onions and garlic, shallots can be eaten raw or cooked, making them versatile and easy to incorporate into recipes. Additionally, studies suggest that eating shallots may help fight cancer, reduce food allergies, and enhance detoxification.
Red onions, white onions, and garlic are all bulbous or underground stems with strip-shaped leaves, a pungent flavor, and high levels of antioxidants. Similar to the nutritional value of onions and garlic, red onions are known for their strong anti-cancer properties and immune-boosting effects.
Risks and side effects
According to Dr. Giang, most people can eat red onions and other types of onions without any side effects, although some may experience digestive issues or it may interact with certain medications.
For example, eating a lot of onions can worsen existing heartburn or acid reflux, even though onions don't usually cause heartburn in people who don't have these conditions.
Onions and chives are also foods that can worsen symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in some people. This is because they contain FODMAP carbohydrates, which can cause digestive problems when they are not properly broken down in the gut.
Therefore, experts recommend that if you have IBS and related symptoms such as frequent constipation or bloating, you should try an elimination diet and see if removing foods that commonly trigger IBS, such as garlic and onions, helps.
Additionally, there have been a few reports of allergic reactions to onions, including people experiencing asthma, skin rashes, and red, itchy eyes.
"Therefore, onions and chives are safe for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women, but they have the potential to cause acid reflux, which is an issue we need to monitor," Dr. Giang noted.
