Purple Onion Nutrition Facts: Is It Better Than Other Onions?

Oluniyi Akande
Nov 03, 2023 By Oluniyi Akande
Originally Published on Feb 25, 2022
Purple Onion Nutrition Facts: Is It Better Than Other Onions?

Onions belong to the member of the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae), and they are high in vitamin C and substances that combat inflammation, cut triglycerides, and lower cholesterol, all of which may lessen the risk of heart disease.

Purple onions, sometimes known as red onions, are a healthy way to add taste and nutrients to your meals without adding a lot of calorie needs. They also include phytochemicals, which are helpful plant substances that may help you avoid some health issues.

Plants and other autotrophs use soil and water to absorb nutrients. Autotrophs are creatures that have the ability to produce their own sustenance. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are the most critical nutrients they require. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur are some of the other nutrients that plants require.

Onions are healthy, whether raw or cooked, but raw onions contain more organic sulfur compounds, which offer several health advantages, according to the BBC.

When compared to eating lesser amounts of raw red onion (0.17-0.26 lb (80-120 g) daily), consuming high amounts of raw red onion does not improve cholesterol or blood sugar levels in persons with polycystic ovarian syndrome (0.04-0.06 lb (20-30 g) daily).

Eating a lot of food might raise your body mass index (BMI) by a small amount.

Red and yellow onions have more antioxidants than other onion kinds.

Yellow onions, in fact, may have nearly 11 times the amount of antioxidants as white onions. Diallyl disulfide and lipid transfer protein are compounds found in onions that can cause allergy symptoms like asthma, nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes, red eyes, and contact dermatitis, a rash that is red and itchy.

In addition to minimizing your daily diet of fats and carbs, onions can help you maintain a healthy blood sugar level and weight. So here's a quick and simple way to improve your health problems and fitness: eat an onion each day.

One onion has about 0.0003 lb (1.5 g) of fiber in it.

If you like this article, you may find it interesting to read these fun facts articles on quinoa nutrition facts and capers nutrition facts.

Purple Onion Health Benefits

Only red or purple onions contain anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants and pigments that give them their crimson color. Quercetin is a main antioxidant flavonoid in onions that have been shown to decrease blood pressure and promote fitness in the human body.

Purple onions are a good source of insoluble fiber, accounting for approximately 0.9–2.6% of the fresh weight, depending on the variety. They're high in fructans, which are beneficial insoluble fiber.

Purple or red onions is known to have a milder flavor than white or Spanish onions. Serve them raw on a burger or stir-fried with other vegetables. Purple onions provide flavor to grilled sandwiches, kinds of pasta, and salads while only adding a few calorie needs per serving.

Purple onions are good for your intestines because of their high dietary fiber content. They're chock-full of chemicals that protect your body from free radical damage.

Onions have been demonstrated to destroy a wide spectrum of germs in laboratory studies. Purple onion extracts prevent cell damage in the human body. To demonstrate how onion impacts microorganisms in the health benefits of the body, more studies with human volunteers are required.

Onions may help to lower your cancer risk. Their anti-inflammatory properties may also assist in lowering high blood pressure and preventing blood clots.

Italian researchers discovered that people who ate the most onions had health benefits of the lowest risk of colon, throat, and ovarian cancer. Purple onions are high in fructooligosaccharides, which are prebiotics.

They do not digest and pass through the small intestine. They nourish the most bacteria in the big intestine. Onions may aid in the health benefits of the prevention of osteoporosis if you regularly add them to your daily food recipes.

Purple Onion Vs. White Onions Benefits

Onions come in two varieties, each with anti-carcinogenic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antioxidant capabilities. Red onions are most commonly consumed raw in salads, sandwiches, or dips and have a rich purple coating on the outer skin. White onions have a milder flavor and skin that is off-white or white in color.

Both red and white onions have a number of characteristics. With a value of 10, both varieties of onions are considered low on the glycemic index.

They also have the same amount of calcium and give around 10% of the recommended intake for vitamin C. Red onions have a greater concentration of antioxidant chemicals than white onions. They have a greater total flavonoid content than white onions, while yellow onions are in the center of the scale.

In comparison to yellow onions, which only have 0.0005- 0.026 lb (270-1187 mg) of flavonols, red onions have 0.0009-0.004 lb (415-1917 mg).

Quercetin, a polyphenol component, is one of the most healthy substances in red onions. Quercetin is a potent antioxidant that helps to scavenge free radicals in the body.

When compared to white onions, red onions have a higher level of antioxidant capabilities, making them better cancer fighters. Red onions' quercetin and allicin have been demonstrated to lower inflammation and to be helpful in cancer prevention and therapy.

Anthocyanins, which are beneficial plant chemicals, give purple onions their color. Since they consist of a larger number of flavonoids and sulfur compounds, both varieties of onions have blood-thinning qualities. Red onions, on the other hand, are a more effective natural blood thinner because they contain more flavonoids, which help thin the blood.

Purple Onion Nutritional Profile Per Serving

Red and white onions are low in calories. There are 37 calories in a 0.22 lb (100 g) portion of raw red onion. The red onion, which has 0.02 lb (12 g) of fiber per 0.22 lb (100 g), is a superior source of dietary fiber than the white onion, which has 0.02 lb (10 g).

One small white onion contains 64 calories. Carbs account for 9–10% of raw and cooked onions, respectively.

Simple sugars like fructose, glucose, and sucrose, as well as fiber, make up the majority of their composition. The total digestible carbs value of a 3.5 oz (100 g) piece is 0.27 oz (7.6 g), including 0.33 oz (9.3 g) of carbohydrates and 0.06 oz (1.7 g) of fiber.

Both red and white onions are high in vitamin C, with a 3.5 oz (100 g) serving size providing more than 10% of the recommended intake.

The calcium content of purple onions is high. Purple onions are high in iron, but white onions and shallots are low in iron.

According to Livestrong.com's MyPlate calorie breakdown monitoring app, a medium slice contains 6 calories, and a whole medium onion has 41 calories. Onions have no fat and just a small amount of protein.

They're mostly made up of carbs (a medium onion has 0.35 oz (10 g) of carbs). A tiny onion, on the other hand, has 9% of your daily vitamin C need for collagen formation and wound healing, as well as 5% of your daily manganese requirement for appropriate bone development and metabolism.

Purple Onion Vitamin And Mineral Profile

Purple onions do not have many calories from fat: 0.3 calories per serving size, 0 g of total fat, 0% saturated fat, 0 g of trans fat, 0 g polyunsaturated fat, 0 g of monounsaturated fat, and 0% cholesterol.

The mineral profile is: potassium 25 mg (1% potassium), 0.003 lb (1.5 g) of carbohydrate per 1% of total carbohydrate, 0.0004 lb (0.2 g) of dietary fiber, 0.0001 lb (0.7 g) of sugar, 0.0004 lb (0.2 g) of protein, 1.3 % vitamin A, 0.3 % vitamin C, and 0.2 % calcium.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for purple onion nutrition facts then why not take a look at fascinating facts about giants or facts about the Atlantic Ocean food chain.

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Written by Oluniyi Akande

Doctorate specializing in Veterinary Medicine

Oluniyi Akande picture

Oluniyi AkandeDoctorate specializing in Veterinary Medicine

With an accomplished background as a Veterinarian, SEO content writer, and public speaker, Oluniyi brings a wealth of skills and experience to his work. Holding a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Ibadan, he provides exceptional consulting services to pet owners, animal farms, and agricultural establishments. Oluniyi's impressive writing career spans over five years, during which he has produced over 5000 high-quality short- and long-form pieces of content. His versatility shines through as he tackles a diverse array of topics, including pets, real estate, sports, games, technology, landscaping, healthcare, cosmetics, personal loans, debt management, construction, and agriculture.

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