You might have seen spring onions growing in the home kitchen gardens. It is one of the plants that is grown throughout the year (perennial plant) and cultivated all over the globe. Spring onions are used in flavouring food and used in the preparation of soups, and salads.1 Spring onion strongly resembles onion but there are a few key differences. The spring onion does not develop a full bulb like onions, it has a smaller bulb. The plant stops growing and the leaves wither away during the beginning of the winter season. It originated in Asia and is common in Northeast India.
The scientific name given to spring onions is Allium fistulosum and it belongs to the family Alliaceae. You might be familiar with some of the species like onions, garlic, chives, leek, etc., which belong to this genus and are important as a medicinal plants. It might have potential health benefits and let us discuss it in the following sections.
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Nutritional Value of Spring Onion:
Spring onion possesses the following nutrients:
Table 1: Depicting the nutrients present in 100g of spring onion
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The following vitamins are present in spring onion:
- Vitamin A (retinol)
- Vitamin B1 (niacin)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Vitamin B3 (niacin)
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
- Vitamin K (phylloquinone)
- Vitamin E (tocopherol)
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Properties of Spring Onion:
The following properties might be exhibited by spring onion:
- It might act as an antioxidant
- It might have anti-cancer potential
- It might be Anti-microbial
- It might lower blood sugar levels (anti-diabetic)
- It might be anti-inflammatory
- It might have cholesterol-lowering activity (anti-hyperlipidaemic)
- It might be helpful for asthma (anti-asthmatic)
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Potential Uses of Spring Onion for Overall Health:
Spring onion might be helpful to humans in different ways and the following are the potential uses of spring onion:
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1. Potential uses of spring onion for oxidative stress
Studies showed that spring onions may contain different phenolic compounds and these phenolic compounds may help in the antioxidant activity of spring onions. The antioxidant activity of the spring onions may neutralize the free radicals. Free radicals may increase the oxidative stress in the body which leads to the development of various diseases, mainly caused by damage to tissues and cells. The antioxidants present in spring onion might help in reducing oxidative stress. However, more research is required to claim the effectiveness of spring onions.
2. Potential uses of spring onion for bacterial infections
Studies have shown that spring onion might have the potential to inhibit the growth of bacteria. It might be effective against bacteria like S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Hendrich hypothesised that the antibacterial activity of onion might be due to the presence of flavonoids and polyphenols in it. Furthermore, Jeffery et al. and Pursseglove et al. showed that this potential anti-bacterial activity of spring onion might increase with its concentration. However, such claims need to be proved by further research.
3. Potential uses of spring onion for fungal infections
Erkin et al. found in their study that onion extract might have potential activity against the fungus Aspergillus niger. Similarly, in various studies, it was found that onion extract might have potential activity against A. niger and A. parasiticus. Kim’s research showed, that green onion might have the ability to decrease the growth of various fungi. However, such claims need to be proved by further research.
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4. Potential uses of spring onion for inflammation
Spring onions may contain various bioactive components. Chisty et al. study found that these bioactive components like thiosulphinates and capaenes might act as an anti-inflammatory agent. However, these claims need to be further proven by more research. Do not self-medicate in case of less immunity power.
5. Potential uses of spring onion for arthritis
Spring onions may contain different phenolic compounds and these phenolic compounds may help relieve pain. Tsanova’s research found that spring onions may help in rheumatic arthritis and osteoarthritis by decreasing pain and inflammation. However, much more extensive research is needed to scientifically back-up these claims. Kindly ensure to consult a doctor for conditions such as arthritis and do not self-medicate.
6. Potential uses of spring onion for asthma
In a study conducted by Wagner, it was found that spring onions might help in altering histamine release and may help in reducing asthma. Another study by Tsonava et al. supported the findings of this study that, polyphenols present in spring onions might have a positive effect on asthma. However, these reports need to be further studied in detail. Therefore, kindly do not self-medicate and ensure that you consult a doctor.
7. Potential uses of spring onion for cancer
Spring onions may suppress the tumour cells and may act as an anticancer agent. The bioactive compounds present in the spring onions may inhibit inflammatory, cellular, and molecular markers which are involved in apoptosis (Cell death). Therefore, spring onion might have an anti-cancer potential against colon tumours. However, more extensive research is required to explore the potentiality of spring onion. Cancer is a serious condition and must be diagnosed and treated properly by a doctor.
Though there are studies that show the potential uses of spring onion in various conditions, these are insufficient and there is a need for further studies to establish the true extent of the benefits of spring onion on human health.
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