Strong-flavoured onions show promise for fighting cancer

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Strong-flavoured onions show promise for fighting cancer

 

22/10/2004 - Strong-flavoured onions may not help your social life but

they could have significant potential for fighting cancer, report US

researchers.

 

Researchers have known for some time that onions may help fight

cancer, but the current study is believed to be the first to compare

cancer-fighting abilities among commonly consumed onion varieties.

 

Preliminary laboratory studies by a team from Cornell University found

members of the onion family with the strongest flavour — particularly

New York Bold, Western Yellow and shallots — are the best varieties

for inhibiting the growth of liver and colon cancer cells.

 

" No one knows yet how many daily servings of onions you'd have to eat

to maximize protection against cancer, but our study suggests that

people who are more health-conscious might want to go with the

stronger onions rather than the mild ones, " said study leader Rui Hai Liu.

 

Liu and his associates analyzed 10 common onion varieties and shallots

for total antioxidant activity and their ability to fight the growth

of cancer in human cell lines. Fresh, uncooked samples were used, with

extracts taken from the bulbs with the outer skin removed.

 

Shallots and onion varieties with the strongest flavour — Western

Yellow, New York Bold and Northern Red — had the highest total

antioxidant activity, an indication that they may have a stronger

ability to destroy free radicals, an excess of which are thought to

increase the risk of disease, particularly cancer, the researchers

will report in the 3 November issue of the Journal of Agricultural and

Food Chemistry.

 

Onion varieties with the mildest flavour — Empire Sweet, Western

White, Peruvian Sweet, Mexico, Texas 1015, Imperial Valley Sweet and

Vidalia — had the lowest total antioxidant activity, Liu said.

 

In tests against liver and colon cancer cells, onions were

significantly better at inhibiting the growth of colon cancer cells

than liver cancer cells, an indication that they are potentially

better at fighting colon cancer, the researcher added. The strongest

cancer-fighters tested were the New York Bold variety, Western Yellow

and shallots. The sweetest tasting onions showed relatively little

cancer-fighting ability however.

 

Onions are rich in a flavour compound known as quercetin, a potent

antioxidant, also found in apples, red berries and other vegetables,

that has been linked to protection against cataracts and heart disease

as well as cancer.

 

Green onions and cocktail onions were not tested in this study, nor

did the researcher test whether cooking made a difference in terms of

cancer-fighting ability. Liu cautions that human studies are needed

before any definitive links between onion consumption and

cancer-prevention can be established.

 

A European research network called Allium has been formed to promote

better use of research results and facilitate future research on

onions, the most widely cultivated horticultural crop in Europe.

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