Did you know that a single serving of candy onions can provide over 20% of your daily vitamin C needs? The benefits of candy onions are numerous and impressive. These vibrant, sweet onion varieties pack an impressive nutritional punch that may surprise you.
A candy onion is also known as a sweet or a Walla Walla onion. Due to their low sulfur content, they are highly valued. Aside from that, they are delightful and mild in flavor. In contrast to intense yellow, white, or red onions, candy onions make cooking more enjoyable. Furthermore, it doesn’t contain harsh, tear-inducing compounds that can be annoying to cook with.
Nutritional Benefits of Candy Onions:
Incorporating candy onions into your diet provides essential nutrients and antioxidants for overall well-being. These onions have a lot of vitamin C, which helps your immune system (the part of your body that fights off illnesses) and keeps your skin healthy. They also have potassium, essential for your heart and muscles, and fiber, which helps digestion and keeps your stomach healthy. Here’s the nutritional facts about candy onions.
Sources include: USDA
| Amount Per 100 grams |
| Calories 32 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0.1 g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium 8 mg | 0% |
| Potassium 119 mg | 3% |
| Total Carbohydrate 8 g | 2% |
| Dietary fiber 0.9 g | 3% |
| Sugar 5 g | |
| Protein 0.8 g | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 8% | Calcium | 2% |
| Iron | 1% | Vitamin D | 0% |
| Vitamin B6 | 5% | Magnesium | 2% |
| *Per cent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. |
1. Candy Onions Are High in Antioxidants
Candy onions contain many antioxidants, such as quercetin and sulfur. Quercetin has properties that fight inflammation, viruses, and cancer (Imran et al., 2020). Eating food that is rich in quercetin, like candy onions, could be good for your health. Its anti-inflammatory abilities might lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Also, It could boost your immune system and help your body fight infections. Plus, quercetin might help prevent or slow down certain types of cancer. Another antioxidant found in candy onions is diallyl disulfide, which could help manage blood sugar levels (Shokri et al., 2020).
2. It Helps Your Heart
The antioxidants in candy onions, called flavonoids, might lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and raise “good” HDL cholesterol, which is good for your heart (Wongeheben et al., 2021). These antioxidants also fight inflammation, which protects your heart. Studies also show that eating foods with lots of flavonoids, like candy onions, is linked to a lower chance of having heart problems like heart attacks and strokes (Smith et al., 2020).
3. Candy Onions May Boost Bone Density
One cup of candy onion provides over 25% of your daily manganese needs – a mineral vital for bone formation and strength. Animal studies link candy onion consumption to increased bone mineral density and bone calcium levels (Wang et al., 2015).
Nutrient Table: Key Bone-Building Nutrients in 1 Cup Candy Onions
- Manganese: 0.5mg (25% DV)
- Calcium: 60mg (6% DV)
- Vitamin K: 7mcg (6% DV)
- Magnesium: 25mg (6% DV)
4. It Helps Fight Cancer
Many studies show that compounds in candy onions, like organosulfur molecules, might help fight cancer. These molecules could make cancer cells die and stop tumors from growing/spreading (Amraie et al., 2020). Some other mentionable molecules in candy onions are diallyl disulfide (DDS), diallyl trisulfide (DATS), and allyl methyl trisulfide (AMTS). They have been studied for their potential to fight cancer, too. In the future, these might become cancer treatments.
5. Candy Onions Help Your Gut
The prebiotic fibers in candy onions help good bacteria grow in your gut, making digestion and getting nutrients easier. This also allows your immune system and lowers inflammation. Plus, these fibers can ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The benefits of candy onions extend to their antimicrobial properties, that fight bad gut bugs like H. pylori bacteria (de Alzaa et al., 2019). Prebiotic fibers give good gut bacteria something to eat, making them grow and work better. This makes digestion and getting nutrients better, too. When the bacteria break down and ferment these fibers, they make short-chain fatty acids that feed the cells in your colon and help you absorb nutrients better.
6. It Fights Inflammation
The quercetin, sulfur compounds, and vitamin C in candy onions are really good at fighting inflammation. This might help with things like joint pain and conditions like arthritis (Акulenko et al., 2020). To get the most out of the anti-inflammatory power of candy onions, try adding them to your meals. You can put them in salads, sandwiches, or stir-fries. You can also caramelize them and use them as a topping for roasted veggies. Another idea is to add candy onions to homemade salsas or dips for extra flavor and healthiness.
7. Boosts Your Immune System
Candy onions have more than 20% of your daily vitamin C in each serving, which is great for your immune system. Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that helps your body make more white blood cells and makes your immune cells work better (Carr and Maggini, 2017).
8. Candy Onions Manage Blood Sugar
Studies show that stuff in candy onions might help your body use insulin better and reduce blood sugar spikes after eating. They have chromium and allylpropyl disulfide, which could help with diabetes. Another study by Ley et al. (2019) found that eating candy onions often lowered blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. So, adding candy onions to your diet could be a good way to naturally manage blood sugar levels if you have diabetes.
9. It Fights With Germs
The sulfur stuff in candy onions can fight lots of different germs, viruses, and fungi. They might stop food poisoning and even kill bacteria that medicine can’t, like MRSA. That’s why they’re good for keeping food fresh without using chemicals. Also, the sulfur stuff in onions can work as natural antioxidants.
10. Candy Onions Adds An Extra Flavor to Food
Candy onions have a sweet, mild taste that makes them great for adding flavor to lots of different dishes. They’re a good choice if you want to make your food taste better without adding lots of calories from sugar, salt, or fat.
Summing Up,
From fighting inflammation to controlling blood sugar, candy onions have a lot of good medicinal stuff in them. Incorporating the benefits of candy onions into your cooking routine ensures a flavorful and nutritious addition to meals, supporting a balanced diet. That can help keep you healthy. Adding these sweet onions to your meals is an easy way to get lots of valuable things like antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. So, go ahead and enjoy their tasty crunch while getting all these great health benefits!
