Diabetes is probably one of the major health concerns across the globe. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 422 million people worldwide have diabetes, with approximately 1.5 million deaths (due to diabetes) each year. It is a lifestyle disease, which occurs when blood glucose level spikes in the body. Health experts state that diabetes cannot be cured completely; hence, it is important to manage the blood sugar level in our bodies. And, healthy lifestyle is stated to be the best way to keep a check on our blood sugar.
Food plays a major role in defining a healthy lifestyle. There is an extensive range of food ingredients, commonly available in our kitchen, which loads you up with essential nutrients to manage diabetes. One such popular food ingredient is onion. You read that right! A recent study, presented at The Endocrine Society’s 97th annual meeting in San Diego, found that onion is loaded with properties that might help lower blood sugar levels by 50 percent. That’s not all. It has also been termed great for managing cholesterol. According to the researchers, “The extract of onion bulb, Allium cepa, strongly lowered high blood glucose (sugar) and total cholesterol levels in diabetic rats when given with the antidiabetic drug metformin.”
The researchers had three groups of rats (with diabetes) who were given three different dosages of onion extract. There were three other groups of nondiabetic rats with normal blood sugar, for comparison.
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It was found that there was a fast reduction of blood sugar levels in diabetic rats, along with lowered cholesterol levels. “Onion is not high in calories,” stated a researcher, adding. “However, it seems to increase the metabolic rate and, with that, to increase the appetite, leading to an increase in feeding.”
“We need to investigate the mechanism by which onion brought about the blood glucose reduction,” the researchers further stated.
Considering this, we suggest including onion in your daily diet to keep up a healthy lifestyle. But, always consult an expert before adapting to any lifestyle change.
About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.