Onion is a famous vegetable used in almost every dish because of its unique and lovely taste. Onions also prove an excellent topping for salad and tacos. They are available in many types; the most common and popular types of onions include red, yellow and white.
Onions are used in almost every dish and can be consumed in hundreds of ways. This is a popular vegetable around the world, with so many people regularly using this vegetable, so they must be healthy for us to consume, right?.
Are onions acidic? Yes, onions are acidic vegetables with a pH ranging between 5 and 5.8. The acidity of onions depends on their types and whether they are cooked or raw. The good news is that their acidity is less as compared to lemons, tomatoes, and many other vegetables.
Despite their acidity, they are still healthy for your health and are loaded in vitamins and minerals as well as potent plant compounds. These plant compounds are known to have health benefits for human health.
Onions contain nutrients in high quantities and calories in low quantities. One normal size onion only contains 40 calories; at the same time, they provide a high dose of vitamins, fibre, and minerals to your body. They are a great source of giving vitamin C to your body, which helps keep your immune system healthy, repair tissues, aid in collagen production, and help your body absorb iron. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant in your body that protect your cell from damage.
Onions also contain vitamin B that helps regulate your metabolism, produce red blood cells in your body and keep your nerves working properly. Moreover, many people believe that onions have medical properties, and in ancient times they were used to treat heart disease, headaches and mouth sores.
Are onions OK for acid reflux?
Well, it is always advised not to eat any acidic food as it may cause acidic reflux. However, in the case of onions, it highly depends on your health.
For instance, if you have a healthy digestive system and do not have heartburn or acid reflux symptoms, eating onions will probably not give any symptoms. On the other hand, if you are already suffering from acidic reflux, eating onions will worsen the symptoms and will cause you to produce more gas.
Are cooked onions acidic?
Onions fall on the acidic side of the pH scale, but their acidity ranges from type to type. For example, red and white onions have a pH closer to 5.8, while yellow onions tend to have a pH near to 5.6, which means that the yellow onions are less acidic than red and white onions.
This slight difference in the pH of these different types of onions is not something that you will be able to notice while eating this vegetable. Moreover, onions’ pH slightly changes when you cook them, but they will still be acidic in nature.
How do you make onions less acidic?
Raw onions are acidic, while cooking them can help to minimize their acidity, but still, they will be acidic. Adding spicy ingredients like bell peppers and tomatoes can make them even more acidic.
One thing to remember is that you would probably need to eat a large number of raw onions to feel any of its adverse effects. You can also cook them to reduce their acidity because cooked onions are less acidic than raw onions.
See also: Are Cucumbers Acidic?
Which onions are the least acidic?
Onions are grown throughout the world and are found in several different types. Usually, when you go to the grocery store, you probably see only red, white and yellow onions. Still, they are also available as other types, including shallots, green onions, leeks, etc.
All types of onions are quite acidic, but their level of acidity changes from type to type. Like, red and yellows onions have 5.8 pH, whereas yellow onions tend to have pH near to 5.6, which is less than others.
Hence, yellow onions are the least acidic compared to their other types.
Are caramelized onions acidic?
Caramelized onions are made by joining sugar and onions to make brownish. As you know, sugar is bad for acidic reflux, but when heated with water, it becomes sweet and loses its calories. The pH level also increases, making it neutral.
Hence, caramelized onions are mildly acidic, but they are best to consume compared to other forms of onions
Is there any health benefits of eating onions?
Yes, onions are healthy for your health as they are rich in vitamins and minerals. Some of its wonderful health benefits include;
- Improve heart health: Onions are a rich source of providing flavonoids that help reduce bad cholesterol levels of the body and Thiosulfinates, which keeps the consistency of the blood right. Due to these properties, onions overcome the risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Bone strength: One onion contains 25.3 mg calcium, which is necessary for bones health. So, adding onion into the diet ensure good bone health.
- Improve immunity: onions are rich in antioxidants, which is helpful for your body in order to protect against cell damage. Moreover, recently one study has revealed that the chemical composition of onion is so strong that it helps immune enhancement and also have anti-cancer properties.
- Good vision: onions also contain selenium, which helps in the production of vitamin E and gives your good vision. Even more, some eye drops also contain extracts of onion juice.
- Oral health: onions are a good source of providing you with vitamin C, which is helpful in oral health.
- Treat Erectile Dysfunction: Many men suffer from the disease Erectile Dysfunction; however, eating onions can help them to treat this condition. More, one study also claimed that onions also increase the level of testosterone in men.
- Hair health: onion juice proves excellent for hair growth, and many hair products have onion juice in them. Due to the antibacterial properties of onions, they also keep dandruff and lice away from your scalp.
