Home » Food and Drink »  Go Healthy »  Curative and Nourishing Qualities of Onions Onions are one of the most versatile vegetables. They can be eaten raw or cooked with the taste intact. They serve as beauty aids too! Our forefathers knew the curative and nourishing qualities of onions. It is its pungent odour that distinguishes it from other vegetables.Onions contain sulphur, proteins, minerals, salts, calcium, vitamins and iron.For digestive disorders, onion intake is ideal. The Greeks believed in rearing a child on onions and milk. Since onions are good for the vocal chords, singers used to consume plenty of onions in the olden days. Onions are generally available in three colours, white, reddish-purple and whitish yellow and are found in most parts of our country. The white variety is soft and helps reduce phelgm.Onions are effective in cleaning the system of impurities and in keeping the body energetic and agile. Those who get tired easily can consume onions dipped in lemon juice to get refreshed. When eaten raw, the effectiveness increases. Labourers and masons who do a lot of physical work consume onion everyday for that added strength. It is said that the labourers who built the pyramids in Egypt consumed a lot of onions.Anaemics can consume white onion juice with a spoon of honey. Those who have falling hair or bald patches which are not hereditary can take an onion, make a paste of it with two or three spoonfuls of honey mixed in. This mix can be applied on the scalp and can be retained for 15 minutes and then washed. At night castor oil application will benefit such conditions.For burns, boils and bee stings, a piece of onion if rubbed on the surface brings instant relief. Application of turmeric will prevent it from becoming sceptic.A time tested method to remedy constipation, is to take the juice of two onions, add a little salt to it and drink it the first thing in the morning. A combination of onions and lime juice relieves one of cold. Even for cracked feet, a onion juice and coconut oil massage, helps smoothen the texture of skin.For children who are weak and dull, white onion juice mixed in jaggery solution will help a great deal. A ginger juice combination helps to improve eyesight and memory power. For wounds, a local application of onion juice and honey will dry the wound in a few days.An onion a day keeps the doctor away! And we're not referring to the odour here!