What if onions had to have their own vocalized warning label, like the ridiculous voiceovers that follow drug commercials?

What would that friendly, disembodied voice tell us about the famous bulbous perennial?

Looking at the science, you'd probably have to generate a warning that included the following:

Do not take onions if you're pregnant (due to risk of miscarriage) nursing (because the chemical allison enters breast milk and disturbs baby feeding patterns) about to give birth, undergo surgery, or otherwise at risk for open would (because onions reduce blood clotting).

Extrapolating from animal studies, you might want to warn that enough enough onions can kill you and bring on anemia.

This is a far cry from the onions are healthy/healing foods message we frequently hear.

After quite a bit of research on the subject I wrote this article to give a review of what exactly onions are and why we should be weary of them: [www.raw-food-health.net]

Let me know what you think.

I hate this whole hygiene society look at foods/herbs. This line:

"Yet the message is the same for onions and drugs: this is a substance that can act on your body to get rid of a symptom of disease, a message that should immediately set off warning bells in your head."

Yeah onions and garlic are probably one of the most researched for there health or if we like to call it medicinal benefits. But every fruit and vegetable has some degree of medicinal health benefits behind it also. What about raspberries and the studies which show there anti-bacterial activity etc. Or bananas and the ability to lower blood pressure, red fruits and there anti-viral properties and so on. Should alarm bells now set off for all these fruits also because they have medicinal and health benefits.

Onions and garlic seem to unfairly get put into the categories of, medicinal, toxic and drug instead of food/vegetables, where as all the other fruits and vegetables which everyone one of them also has medicinal health benefits are considered completely fine.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2011 10:14AM by powerlifer.

Thanks for the article, I'll still eat onions though. Everything in moderation my friend. Extremism is just not my thing.

Onions are an abortificant? I must hie me to my time machine to travel the ages to let all those people in past civilizations know . . . wait a minute . . . none of us would be here if onions were really that dangerous for humans to consume. Hmmmmm . . .

I usually like what you write and appreciate that you can back your assertions up with science, but this method is misapplied in this instance, IMO. Also, the chemical compound in garlic and onions that is medicinal is spelled "allicin."

Also about the onion induced anemia, abit of a scare story angle there, we have no idea how much onions he was eating nor if he was actually eating other food.

Kale can also induce anemia, should we avoid that also?

No comment.

Actually, allium family foods such as garlic and onions are among the most powerful family of vegetables one can find for cancer prevention and possibly treatment. [www.ajcn.org] The prior citation is one indication. But I want to briefly comment on studies and "truth". I'm not putting for the original statement above as "truth" or even as "fact". I'm saying that the weight of evidence suggests that this is the case for onions and garlic. The above study is a case control design which just compares peoples consumption of a particular food and their incidence with disease. By itself, not very persuasive, but suggestive. There are other data both in terms of in-vitro effects of onion extract and garlic extract on cancer cell death (also by itself, not very persuasive) showing that relative to other vegetables -- onions and garlic have a much greater effect on the death of cancer cells. For more see Dr. Michael Greger's Volume 4 of Updates in Nutritional Medicine DVD. Greger is a vegan physician who currently works for USHS.

I think when you put it all together. Tamara's where are the bodies question along with the available data, garlic and onions are not only not harmful. They are among the most healthful vegetables one can consume. As an example, one prospective cohort study [better than case control and less subject to recall bias] indicated that although overall vegetable consumption did not track well with ovarian cancer risk reduction, garlic and onions did! [cebp.aacrjournals.org] This is the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition or EPIC study. And by itself unlike the in-vitro cells and the case-control study, a prospective cohort study is authoritative albeit subject to the same data limitations of any research effort. Also for stomach cancer [case-cohort] [www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] And reviews show the same thing. [www.apocpcontrol.org]. Are there any data at all going the other way, suggesting that people who eat garlic and onions have increases in cancer? Not that I can find. In fact, when I put the in vitro studies together with EPIC, my "opinion" is that cruciferous vegetables [brocoli, kale, collards, cabbage] and allium vegetables such as garlic and onions are about the most important veggies for cancer prevention. I think garlic and onions are not only good for you. They are indispensible for real cancer protection.

Paul



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2011 05:19PM by pborst.

Good post Paul.

Garlics and Onions are only good to move the body from the state of disequilibrium to equilibrium, once you have achieved the natural state, should I say re-establish the natural state, they have no place in the diet.

Would you keep taking tylenol to cure a headache you no longer have?

RawPracticalist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Garlics and Onions are only good to move the body
> from the state of disequilibrium to equilibrium,
> once you have achieved the natural state, should I
> say re-establish the natural state, they have no
> place in the diet.
>
> Would you keep taking tylenol to cure a headache
> you no longer have?

But garlic nor onion are synthetic drugs such as tylenol? Why would you keep eating a banana when its known to lower blood pressure, a raspberry which has anti-bacterial properties and so on and on and on. Every fruit and vegetable has medicinal benefits. If you can show me one that doesn't ill be surprised and eat my hat.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2011 06:01PM by powerlifer.

You are missing the title of the thread " Crying Onion Tears: do we really need to be worried about onions?"

The medicinal properties of these "foods" are more dominant than their nutritional properties, why do you think people cry eating garlic or onions, they are medicine, you decide to suffer for a while to cure a condition.

Have seen people eating banana with tears in their eyes, there is no suffering in eating bananas, it is a feast, enjoyable, what nature entended.
Just in case you get out of equilibrium or sick here are some others "foods" you can use, that is the aim of nature. You stop suffering once you are healthy again unless you are always out of equilibrium.

This again? Are you guys kidding me? *shakes head*

RawPracticalist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Garlics and Onions are only good to move the body
> from the state of disequilibrium to equilibrium,
> once you have achieved the natural state, should I
> say re-establish the natural state, they have no
> place in the diet.
>
> Would you keep taking tylenol to cure a headache
> you no longer have?

First, it's harmful... then it's helpful if you are starting from a harmful place... At least the OP had data he provided for review. RP, provide something other than your supposition. A reminder "natural state" doesn't mean either healthful or optimal. Nightshade is natural. Garlic and onions are "natural" and have a long history in human experience and some pretty darn solid science behind them if you are concerned about maintaining solid cancer prevention as you age. Call it insurance. I take a vitamin supplement everyday even though I think my diet does a pretty good job of providing me all I need. I eat garlic and onions even though I daily take tumeric, green tea, berries, melon, citrus, etc. which protect against cancer. Put it this way, do you drop health insurance just because you have solved a health condition?

Paul



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2011 06:36PM by pborst.

Lol im not going to get into this again as it is obvious your views wont change and ive said my piece for others who are viewing or reading the thread.

Yes onions can act as an irritant to the eye but that is irrelevant. Nature put onions and garlic here, Paul stated some very good points, garlic doesn't make your eyes cry so whats your problem with garlic, i know more wishy washy theories about what nature intends or your natural instincts.

Onions and garlic are as much as medicine as a banana, a strawberry, a bellpepper etc are. If you can prove that the above don't have medicinal health benefits the same way garlic and onion does then ill believe you. You wont be able to do that so its a mute point.

coco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This again? Are you guys kidding me? *shakes head*


This is a forum, we are looking for knowledge not mystery

pborst Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RawPracticalist Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Garlics and Onions are only good to move the
> body
> > from the state of disequilibrium to
> equilibrium,
> > once you have achieved the natural state, should
> I
> > say re-establish the natural state, they have
> no
> > place in the diet.
> >
> > Would you keep taking tylenol to cure a
> headache
> > you no longer have?
>
> First, it's harmful... then it's helpful if you
> are starting from a harmful place... At least the
> OP had data he provided for review. RP, provide
> something other than your supposition. A reminder
> "natural state" doesn't mean either healthful or
> optimal. Nightshade is natural. Garlic and
> onions are "natural" and have a long history in
> human experience and some pretty darn solid
> science behind them if you are concerned about
> maintaining solid cancer prevention as you age.
> Call it insurance. I take a vitamin supplement
> everyday even though I think my diet does a pretty
> good job of providing me all I need. I eat garlic
> and onions even though I daily take tumeric, green
> tea, berries, melon, citrus, etc. which protect
> against cancer. Put it this way, do you drop
> health insurance just because you have solved a
> health condition?
>
> Paul

Wahoo, great respect for you. I do not take supplements, do not take many things in every day, I keep it simple with weekly fasting.
To me health is in simplicity, we need to remove the complexity.
What I mean by natural state is the state where the body can function optimally with pure raw food, air, water, and some exercise. It is that simple.
Commercial vitamins have no water content, they are dry, it is not a food.

Do we really need to be worried about onions?

Answer: No.

Should some people avoid onions if they don't like the way they make them feel?

Answer: Sure.

Almost all foods have good and bad things about them. That is why it's important to eat a variety of foods and avoid too much of any one thing. I would consider onion a flavor enhancer rather than a medicine or even a food. None of us are going to live forever regardless of whether we eat onion or not, so if you like the taste of onion, eat up I say. Life is too precious and we only get this one body (and one set of taste buds) to enjoy.

I've cut onions and garlic out of my diet and I don't miss them.

The more I read about onions and garlic, the more I'm convinced they should remain to be a staple of my diet.

Even as a little kid I grew up eating garlic and onions just as they were, raw and unprocessed, most often together with a bowl of soup. This was the tradition in eastern europe where my family lived for a while, and we continued it ever since. You eat that famous red soup and there are white onions cut up in four on a side plate, and cloves of garlic next to them, and a bit of salt. And you dip the onions and garlic in salt and munch on them, alternating with spoonfulls of the soup. Yum. Suffering? Hahaha yes, if pleasure can be suffering then certainly so

Anyway reading about all the scientific research about healthy properties of onions and garlic makes me happy I've eaten them all my life, and convinces me ever more to continue to do so.

>Banana ice-cream rocks!<

I am reading Dr. Fuhrman books now,and he says go ahead and eat raw onion every day.
This is just one more example of how conflicting information is out there.
If its not killing you,then its healing you,is my approach.

there's only conflicting information when you give credence to
gurus
nutrients
medicines

Exactly pretty much all of the negative attention that garlic and onions get is based on extremely poor logic and raw food wish wash such as the mono eating theory. If you can't make a meal out of it, it must be bad for you lol.

Whilst there is a mountain of growing scientific based evidence that both of these foods are great for health and are proven to be beneficial in preventing degenerative diseases aswell as various cancers.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2012 12:34PM by powerlifer.

Prana Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've cut onions and garlic out of my diet and I
> don't miss them.


Same here.

To me, onions, garlic and all their relatives stink!

Quite frankly, I don't mind the taste as much as the smell and I certainly can believe they are an effective antibiotic. What could survive their assault? In part, the reason I don't eat them is because I don't like the way they smell on the breath of others and so I deduce that they likely give me something less than "pleasant" breath. In fact I find them so socially repelling that it makes sense that no one would ever get close enough to an onion eater to infect them with anything. (For all you onion lovers, it's just a little tongue-in-cheek.)

That said, I ate some yesterday. One solution to the offensive breath syndrome is to eat some too - then you can't smell it. I once knew someone though who was hooked on garlic but he ate such a "clean" diet that the odour didn't seem offensive at all. I speculated that his body was processing it all a bit better...but what do I know?

I loved your article. Biased? Maybe, but for me it said exactly what I wanted to hear and I forwarded it to my wife because she knows my anti-onion stance.

powerlifer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Exactly pretty much all of the negative attention
> that garlic and onions get is based on extremely
> poor logic and raw food wish wash such as the mono
> eating theory. If you can't make a meal out of it,
> it must be bad for you lol.
>
> Whilst there is a mountain of growing scientific
> based evidence that both of these foods are great
> for health and are proven to be beneficial in
> preventing degenerative diseases aswell as various
> cancers.
>
> [www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

I AGREE WITH THAT BROTHER!

At HHI they use them religiously! and with good reason! I love onions and garlic.