November 2021 - The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy

You may be overwhelmed at the grocery store sometimes wondering why there are so many different kinds of onions. If you’re like most people you probably gravitate towards yellow onions and use them for everything.

Health Benefits

Onions are part of the (italicize) allium (end-italics) genus. They’re not only delicious, they provide a wide range of nutrients including biotin, copper, vitamin B6, and vitamin C. They also provide fiber and a number of phytonutrients. All of which combine to make onions a great choice for health.

In addition to their anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial properties, onions have also been shown to be useful for reducing cholesterol, lowering triglycerides and they can be supportive for lowering blood pressure.

Eating onions has also been shown to reduce the risk for certain kinds of cancers such as stomach and colorectal. Other studies have indicated onions have properties which can inhibit the growth of tumors.

If that weren’t enough, it turns out this nutritional powerhouse vegetable can also help support proper blood sugar levels. All of which makes this vegetable a really good choice to add to your diet. But which onion should you choose?

The Best Onion for the Dish

Sweet onions are good for frying and roasting
White onions have the sharpest flavor and can be very crunchy. They are a wonderful choice for making chutney or salsa. They’re also great n stir-frys
Yellow onions are good all-purpose onions. These are a great choice for soups, stews, sauces. They pair well with meat dishes
Shallots have a very mild flavor. They are lovely as a garnish, for vinaigrettes. They’re also a good choice for egg dishes or other mild flavored dishes
Red onions are simply delicious when eaten raw. Wonderful for pickling, in guacamole, on sandwiches, they are also delicious in salads
Leeks have a very mild flavor. These are good for soups, creamy sauces, or roasting with other veggies
Scallions are another very mild onion which are also delicious raw. They’re very good when a sprinkled on other dishes and can be a good choice in dressings
Pearl onions are another sweet onion which is small. Fabulous for roasting, braising, or pickling they’re a versatile onion

Storing Onions

Yellow onions are a really good all-purpose onion. But onions have a lot of personality. You can really punch up the flavor in your dishes when you choose and use different kinds of onions.

When it comes to storing them, most onions do best when stored in a cool, darker, well-ventilated space. Ideally, they should be stored either in a mesh bag or in an open container, not in plastic. This is so the air can circulate. Onions should be able to keep for approximately a month when stored this way.

Green onions such as leeks and scallions need to be stored in the refrigerator. They do best if they are wrapped so that they don’t dehydrate too quickly.

Once they have been cut all onions should be stored in the refrigerator. They’ll last for about a week.

Long-Term Storage

If you have an excessive amount of onions you can prepare them for long-term storage by either cooking them and then freezing, pickling, or preserving in someway, or slicing and dehydrating.

When to Avoid Onions

It kind of goes without saying, but if you are allergic to or sensitive to onions you should not eat them. If you do some food journaling and noticed that every time you eat onions (or garlic) that you have bloating, increased flatulence, or a change in bowel habits, it’s a good idea to avoid onions.

However, there are other times when you should not eat onions as well:

If you need to avoid FODMAP vegetables
When you are dealing with bacterial overgrowth in the gut
For anyone who needs to avoid sulfur-rich foods

No matter which onion is your favorite, be sure to use them all for variety and to take advantage of their nutritional support.

[expand title="Sources"]

Brüll, Verena et al. Effects Of A Quercetin-Rich Onion Skin Extract On 24 H Ambulatory Blood Pressure And Endothelial Function In Overweight-To-Obese Patients With (Pre-)Hypertension: A Randomised Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Cross-Over Trial. 2021.

Ebrahimi-Mamaghani, Mehranghiz et al. Effects Of Raw Red Onion Consumption On Metabolic Features In Overweight Or Obese Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. 2021.

Vazquez-Prieto, Marcela Alejandra et al. Garlic And Onion Attenuates Vascular Inflammation And Oxidative Stress In Fructose-Fed Rats. 2021.

Turati, Federica et al. Allium Vegetable Intake And Gastric Cancer: A Case-Control Study And Meta-Analysis. 2021.

Turati, Federica et al. Colorectal Cancer And Adenomatous Polyps In Relation To Allium Vegetables Intake: A Meta-Analysis Of Observational Studies. 2021.

Hashemzaei, Mahmoud et al. Anticancer And Apoptosis-Inducing Effects Of Quercetin In Vitro And In Vivo. 2021.

Wang, Junjian, and Shangxiang Huang. Fisetin Inhibits The Growth And Migration In The A549 Human Lung Cancer Cell Line Via The ERK1/2 Pathway. 2021.

Eldin, Imad M. Taj et al. Preliminary Study Of The Clinical Hypoglycemic Effects Of Allium Cepa (Red Onion) In Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetic Patients. 2021.

Sharma, Kavita et al. Systematic Study On Active Compounds As Antibacterial And Antibiofilm Agent In Aging Onions. 2021.

Markowiak, Paulina, and Katarzyna Śliżewska. Effects Of Probiotics, Prebiotics, And Synbiotics On Human Health. 2021.

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In the world of food additives, the alphabet is used to abbreviate many of these man-made products. It is as if there is a whole new vocabulary developed just for them using the alphabet. So, today’s new “word” is TBHQ. This is a conglomeration of letters that frequently appears in the ingredient section of a food label. Most consumers skip right over it because they don't understand it. So, let me be the first person to assure you that nature does not produce food by alphabet soup. It should be clearly understandable in words like kale, apple, celery, and eggs.

Does TBHQ look familiar? If it doesn't that's okay, but now that I've brought it to your attention, I hope that when you read the label (and you are reading labels aren't you?) it will stand out. And not in a good way.

What is TBHQ

TBHQ is the abbreviation for tertiary butylhydroquinone. That's not exactly any clearer than the abbreviation. What exactly is TBHQ and why is it in the food? It's a preservative; a fake antioxidant if you will. TBHQ is used to stabilize oils and fats against oxidation and deterioration. Ultimately, this extends the shelf life and prevents rancidity of many products.

It's found in a wide array of foods. In fact, according to the Environmental Working Group, it is in approximately 1,250 food products. These items can include:

processed fats and oils
frying and cooking oils used at restaurants (that would especially be those fast-food restaurants)
non-organic packaged foods
frozen non-organic fish products
soft drinks
crackers
cereals
microwave popcorn,
soy milk brands

And this is just a short list!

TBHQ can also appear in pet food. A really good reason to read those labels as well. After all, if you're not going to eat it why should your pet?

As mentioned in The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan:

But perhaps the most alarming ingredient in a Chicken McNugget is tertiary butylhydroquinone, or TBHQ, an antioxidant derived from petroleum that is either sprayed directly on the nugget or the inside of the box it comes in to “help preserve freshness.” According to A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives, TBHQ is a form of butane (i.e. lighter fluid) the FDA allows processors to use sparingly in our food: It can comprise no more than 0.02 percent of the oil in a nugget. Which is probably just as well, considering that ingesting a single gram of TBHQ can cause “nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse.” Ingesting five grams of TBHQ can kill.

While not exactly butane, TBHQ does share some molecular structure with other butyl molecules such as lighter fluid. As more research is done with TBHQ, more potential concerns arise.

Health Concerns

Immune Health – TBHQ activates a protein called Nrf2 which controls antioxidant function. This can cause Nrf2 to negatively interact with proteins that control the immune response such as white blood cell function. This is also the protein that can be affected when it comes to cancer cells.

Potential Carcinogen – Animal studies suggest that TBHQ may cause some cancerous and precancerous effects in the body. Plus, it may increase resistance to chemotherapy drugs and help cancer cells live longer.

Neurological System – areas such as vision disturbances and convulsions can occur if larger amounts are consumed.

Food Allergies – TBHQ has the potential to induce or worsen food allergies with even low doses of the food additive. This occurs because TBHQ can increase the IgE response to food allergens and exacerbate signs of hypersensitivity. Interestingly, these studies were done with amounts within what the average person might consume, especially if eating a diet consisting of a lot of processed foods.

Children may be more susceptible as there are claims that TBHQ can cause anxiety and restlessness in children. The Feingold Diet (a dietary approach to managing ADHD) suggest that TBHQ be on the “do not consume” list exactly for this reason.

Other Concerns - Animal studies appear to indicate the possibility of large amounts causing stomach problems and oxidative DNA damage.

It’s Easy To Be Overexposed to TBHQ

The challenge with artificial food preservatives is the cumulative effect.

Let’s look at what a day of eating foods that contain TBHQ could look like:

Breakfast might include quick and easy pop tarts.
For lunch you choose something like “Maruchan Instant Lunch” because it is easy to bring anywhere.
Now you have had a busy day and want something quick for dinner and choose a frozen pizza. Thus far each meal has had TBHQ in it.
Wait, don’t forget about that evening snack of microwave popcorn and soda! This is the cumulative effect of eating a diet with a lot of processed foods.

Individually each item may not produce a challenge right away, but this type of diet (high in processed foods) can bring the total TBHQ amount consumed to problematic levels. It has been found that consuming 1 gram of TBHQ can cause you to experience symptoms ranging from nausea and vision disturbances to collapse.

And it’s not just found in food. Other products that may contain TBHQ include cosmetics, hair dye, lipstick, eyeshadow, biodiesel, lacquers, resins, and varnishes. As you use these products, the exposure through applying it to your skin or breathing it in can also have an impact.

What To Do About TBHQ?

The good news is that TBHQ is water soluble – that means it is not highly likely to be stored in the body.

As you begin to eat whole food and eliminate processed foods, you will reduce the potential dangers of TBHQ and invest in your health. Being well hydrated will also help your body to flush toxins. Definitely a good thing at any time, but especially if you are shifting away from eating a diet high in processed foods.

My suggestion, as always, remains the same. Eat whole food, understand what you are eating, and read the label.