The better you eat when it comes to fruits and vegetables,, the less likely you are to develop many medical
problems. TN Produce offers locally grown products that is vital for your every day function. Green onions, also known as
scallions or spring onions, contain a wide variety of health-enhancing
compounds like vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Use them raw in
salads or cook them with other vegetables in stir-fries or sautes for an
extra boost of nutrition.
Bone Health
A single, 12-gram green onion stalk contains nearly 20
micrograms of vitamin K and 1.6 milligrams of vitamin C. For a healthy
adult man, this supplies 16 percent of his recommended daily allowance
of vitamin K and nearly 2 percent of his vitamin C RDA. For a woman, a
green onion stalk provides 22 percent of her daily vitamin K and 2.1
percent of her vitamin C. Both vitamins K and C are crucial for the
growth, development and maintenance of strong bones. If your diet lacks these vitamins, you may be more likely to develop osteoporosis or to suffer from bone fractures.
Eye Health
The body needs vitamin A to produce rhodopsin, the protein in
the eyes that allows retinal receptors to absorb light. People whose
diets don't include enough vitamin A can develop night blindness and
other vision disorders, including corneal ulcers. A green onion stalk
contains 24 micrograms of vitamin A in the form of provitamin A
carotenoid compounds that the body converts to retinol, the active form
of the vitamin. This amount of vitamin A fulfills 2.6 percent of a man's
required daily intake and 3.4 percent of a woman's.
Heart Health
The vitamin C and vitamin A found in foods like green onions
both have strong antioxidant properties, reports the University of
Maryland Medical Center. This means the vitamins can help prevent DNA
and cellular tissue damage by inhibiting the activity of free radical
compounds. A diet rich in foods with a high antioxidant concentration --
primarily fruits and vegetables -- is linked to a decreased risk of
heart disease. Vitamin C may also help prevent high blood pressure,
which, in turn, can lower your risk of heart disease.
Immune System Health
According to the American Institute for Cancer Research and
the Linus Pauling Institute, onions like green onions are a rich source
of phytochemicals, especially flavonoid compounds such as quercetin and
anthocyanins. These particular phytochemical compounds are naturally
occurring plant chemicals that may support the function of the immune
system. A 2001 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition" reported that flavonoids may also help prevent cancer by
inhibiting xanthine oxidase, an enzyme that produces free radicals that
can damage DNA and cellular tissue.
