Onions and Garlic… “Powerful” in More Ways Than One
If you’re like me and enjoy the taste of garlic and onions – and you eat them often – you’re doing a lot more than adding some flavor to your meals. You could be adding years to your life.
The allium plants – particularly onions, shallots, and garlic – have been used as food and medicine for thousands of years. And modern science has confirmed that these pungent vegetables are some of the most medicinally potent foods we can eat. Hundreds of population and laboratory studies have shown that they have strong anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and immune-boosting qualities.
Onions, shallots, and garlic have also been shown to reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, and normalize blood pressure. And a large Italian study, recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows a strong inverse correlation between onion and garlic consumption and cancers of the mouth, esophagus, breast, ovaries, kidneys, and prostate.
So whenever you have a chance to slice a shallot for your salad, put an onion on your sandwich, or press some garlic to go with your mixed vegetables, do it!