MUST READ ARTICLE, CHECK THE LINK BELOW TO KNOW REASON WHY YOU MUST EAT ONION....

Turns out that onions are nothing to cry over — these flavorful bulbs are packed with nutrients. "Onions are super-healthy," said Victoria Jarzabkowski, a nutritionist with the Fitness Institute of Texas at the University of Texas at Austin. "They are excellent sources of vitamin C, sulphuric compounds, flavonoids and phytochemicals." Phytochemicals, or phytonutrients, are naturally occurring compounds in fruits and vegetables that are able to react with the human body to trigger healthy reactions. Flavonoids are responsible for pigments in many fruits and vegetables. Studies have shown that they may help reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular desease and stroke Jarzabkowski explained that a particularly valuable flavonoid in onions is quercetin, which acts as an antioxidant that may be linked to preventing cancer. It has a host of other benefits, as well, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, reducing the symptoms of bladder infections, promoting prostate health and lowering blood pressure. Other important phytochemicals in onions are disulfides, trisulfides, cepaene and vinyldithiins. They all are helpful in maintaining good health and have anticancer and antimicrobial properties, according to the National Onion Association. Partly because of their use in cooking around the world, onions are among the most significant sources of antioxidants in the human diet, according to a 2002 report in the journal Phytotherapy Research. Their high levels of antioxidants give onions their distinctive sweetness and aroma. These antioxidants and flavonoids may help promote heart health, reduce inflammation and decrease the risk of cancer, in addition to a load of other good things. "I like to recommend eating onions because they add flavor without salt and sugar," Jarzabkowski said. Onions are low in calories (45 per serving), very low in sodium, and contain no fat or cholesterol. Furthermore, onions contain fiber and folic acid, a B vitamin that helps the body make healthy new cells. Onions are healthy whether they're raw or cooked, though raw onions have higher levels of organic sulfur compounds that provide many benefits, according to the BBC. A 2005 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that there is a high concentration of flavonoids in the outer layers of onion flesh, so you'll want to be careful to remove as little of the edible part of the onion as possible when peeling it. Here are the nutrition facts for onions, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates food labeling through the National Labeling and Education Act. ase