Since we grow so many onions here at Dixondale, we’ve heard a thing or two about onions and health over the years. This month we want to discuss some of those benefits that onions can offer.

fresh picked onions

A Little Onion History

The onion is one of the oldest and most popular vegetables in the world.  In the Middle Ages, it was considered to have special medicinal properties and was even thought to keep evil spirits away. Today, the onion is still touted for its nutritional prowess.  

Let’s take a look at how these palette pleasers may be good for our health.

Common Benefits

One advantage all onions share is that they don’t contain fat or cholesterol. However, they are packed with very important vitamins, like B6 and C, and key minerals too. For diabetics, or those watching their glycemic indexes, they’re also low on the glycemic scale. In other words, while they contain some carbohydrates, they don’t raise your blood sugar much when you eat them.

dixondale farms red onions

Extra Pluses for Red Onions

Red onions are one of the best dietary sources of chromium, a micronutrient necessary for good health. Believe it or not, the same shiny stuff that goes on your car’s bumper may, in tiny quantities, enhance the action of insulin, helping your body metabolize carbohydrates, fat, and protein more efficiently. How cool is that?
 
Though all onions contain antioxidants, the red varieties contain somewhat more than their white and yellow cousins. One of the most beneficial compounds in red onions is quercetin, a polyphenol compound. Quercetin is beneficial for removing free radicals (which cause age damage) from body cells, as well as for reducing inflammation. 

We’ve Got Your Color

Whether you prefer white, yellow, red, or the newly introduced pink onions (or all of the above!), Dixondale Farms can provide you with the appropriate onion plants, along with the growing and harvest supplies you need to raise a bumper crop.

If you have ordering questions as you start to make your 2020 plans, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. Contact Customer Service at (830) 876-2430 or email customerservice@dixondalefarms.com.