Eating more garlic and onions linked to a 79% drop in colorectal cancer risk

(NaturalHealth365)  Garlic and onions are a big deal – financially and healthwise.  For example, did you know that U.S. farmers produce about 6.98 billion pounds of onions – generating $5-7 billion dollars in sales – every year?  Garlic, although much lighter, has a total production of about 400 million pounds – every year.  Pretty impressive, right?  Well, there’s more to tell you about how these foods can help to protect your health.

No doubt, in the kitchen, onions, garlic, and other allium vegetables are popular additions to any dish around the world – especially due to their health benefits.

For example, a new study found that consuming allium veggies like onions, garlic, and leeks, is linked to a significantly lower risk of colorectal cancer, and the more you eat, the better the protection value.

Colorectal cancer – cancer of the rectum or colon, which is located at the lower end of the digestive tract – is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women and the third in men.

Eating more garlic and onions will equal more protection from dis-ease

According to this recent study, consuming high amounts of garlic, onions, and other allium vegetables resulted in a 79% lower risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who only consumed small amounts of these veggies.  Researchers pointed out that more is better.

The study included 833 patients who had colorectal cancer as well as 833 healthy controls that were matched by area of residence, sex, and age.  In general, the findings show that one of the best ways to prevent colorectal cancer is via lifestyle interventions, and dietary interventions prove to be quite effective.

Of course, additional lifestyle interventions will require more in-depth explorations in the future, according to researchers.  But, if you’ve been reading NaturalHealth365 for some time now, you know we talk a lot about how to improve the immune system to minimize the risk of any chronic disease.

Bitter more pungent onions offer the greatest benefits

While garlic, onions, and other allium vegetables offer cancer-prevention benefits, onions are particularly beneficial and have been studied in the past because of their high amount of phenolic content and flavonoids.  Onions are one of the best sources of flavonoids – which have been associated with a lower risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

While many people tend to reach for the milder onions, such as Vidalia onions, studies show that the most pungent, bitter onions offer the most significant benefits.  Those bitter, pungent varieties contain more flavonoid compounds and provide greater benefits.

To be clear: when it comes to protection against colorectal cancer, yellow onion extracts from Western Yellow onions offer the most protection, and shallots contain far more phenolic content than mild onions like Vidalia onions.

Once again, studies back up the idea that many cancer cases can be prevented with a proper (nutritional-dense) diet.   And, while garlic and onions can offer protection against colorectal cancer, it’s essential to eat a well-rounded (organic) diet – which includes a minimum of 5 – 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Antioxidants and phytochemicals found in plant-based foods will not only protect against cancer, but also heart disease and other degenerative conditions.  Never forget: the key factor to preventing any disease and improving quality of life is found in making simple improvements to your diet.

Don’t stress out: Just cut back on eating simple (processed) sugars, eat more veggies, exercise and reduce the stress in your life.  It’s an intelligent recipe for success.

Sources for this article include:

Onions-USA.org
Aghires.com
ScienceDaily.com
NutritionReview.org
Gastrojournal.org
Cornell.edu