On the benefits of onions, in particular, its ability to improve digestion, strengthen immunity, increase appetite, is known to all. Much less - about his harm.
In the article we will talk about the beneficial properties and contraindications to the use of red or purple onions. It is this variety that is pleasant when used fresh, because it has a sweetish, more juicy taste, and there is no burning taste and sharp aroma.
In addition, he is much more attractive in appearance than his usual peasant congener, does not cause tears and has more pronounced useful properties.
Calorie, Vitamins and Minerals
To find out what the benefits and harm of red onions for human health, it is necessary to consider what's inside: what vitamins and minerals prevail and what is its caloric content. 
Vegetable contains vitamins:
- B1 (0.05 mg);
- B2 (0.02 mg);
- B5 (0.1 mg);
- B6 (0.1 mg);
- B9 (9 μg);
- C (10 mg);
- E (0.2 mg);
- PP (0.5 mg).
Macro and trace elements:
- magnesium (14 mg);
- sodium (4 mg);
- sulfur (65 mg);
- iron (0.8 mg);
- calcium (31 mg);
- copper (85 mg);
- phosphorus (58 mg);
- potassium (175 mg).
Calorie content 100 g of the product is 42 kcal. 100 g contains 1.7 g of proteins, 0.1 g of fat, 9.7 g of carbohydrates.Also, red onion is a source of flavonoids, quercetin and allicin.
Did you know? The use of onions in cooking has been known since ancient times. His image was found in the tomb of Tutankhamen, dated 1352 BC. e. There is evidence that this vegetable was grown 5 thousand years ago by Indians and Chinese.
Beneficial features
Red is a vegetable because it contains antioxidants anthocyanins - they allow our body to better resist bacteria and viruses. They also have a preventive effect against diabetes, the formation of malignant tumors, disorders of the nervous system. These substances also inhibit the aging process.
Equally important in a purple vegetable is a substance like quercetin. It is able to reduce the manifestations of allergy, have a anti-edematous effect, reduce the risk of cancer, relieve spasms. 
Onion is also valued due to its high content sulfur in various compounds. These components can rid the body of toxins, affect the increased formation of collagen, thus beneficially affecting the condition of the skin, hair and nails. In addition, the frequent use of this vegetable due to compounds with sulfur in the composition lowers the level of cholesterol, fats, positively affects the work of the cardiovascular system.
Read also about the beneficial properties, harvesting for the winter and growing on the windowsill of green onions.
Studies have shown that regular use of purple onions that have beneficial properties for a period of one and a half months can lead to a decrease in the level of low-density lipoproteins, which transfer cholesterol and provoke fat deposits in blood vessels, and therefore can cause heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis and other serious consequences.
Important! Since most of the nutrients in the onion is in its upper layer, it should be cleaned with care, you only need to remove the top skin. When cleaning one juicy layer, up to a third of valuable components is lost.
Red onions are recommended for those who are struggling with excess weight, because it helps to burn fat well. Vegetable is indispensable in the period of avitaminosis, replenishing the body with missing elements and allowing it to withstand seasonal respiratory diseases. All this, of course, is possible due to the high content of vitamin C. 
Dishes with the Crimean or, as it is also called, purple-colored Yalta onions have a number of other useful properties, for example, cleansing of cerebral vessels, sputum excretion, diuretic, antiparasitic, antiseptic, and the functioning of the kidneys and liver.
Read also about the properties and application of different types of onions: bulb, shallot, shnitta, shallot, batun, slyzuna.
Use during pregnancy
It is possible for pregnant women to eat onions, but in small quantities - up to 100 g per day in the first or second trimester and up to 50 g in the third, since the essential oils and acids contained in it can provoke irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, colic, nausea, heartburn. This applies to all types of vegetables, and red as well.
Pregnant women can eat onions in salads, first and second dishes. It is especially recommended to do this in the winter period, during the rampant seasonal epidemics, because a sufficient amount of ascorbic acid can protect the weakened body of the expectant mother from respiratory diseases.
Onions are also useful for women "in position" because it contains folic acid, and it is so necessary for the normal development of the child. 
In addition, the vegetable has a sedative effect on the nervous system of a woman, normalizes sleep, and prevents the development of depression and headaches.
It is not advised to eat raw onions if the pregnant woman suffers from flatulence, as this product is gas-forming.
Important! Pregnant red onions should not be consumed for a number of health problems in order not to provoke their aggravation, which is especially undesirable in this state..
Use in cooking, with what is combined
In cooking, red onions are used in the same way as onions. Although, because of their taste, they still prefer to eat fresh - in salads and whipped to first courses. It also goes well with vegetable, meat dishes, giving them great juiciness and aroma. Especially good are the dishes with chopped onion rings, cooked on the grill. 
Some people love to fry and stew this vegetable. Of course, many are interested in the question of whether it is possible to fry red onions, whether its useful qualities will disappear during heat treatment. To get into the body as many important substances as possible, the vegetable must be eaten raw. Any processing will lose some of its valuable properties.
Learn more about the beneficial properties and methods of harvesting red cabbage.
In particular, more than half of ascorbic acid will go away. However, it is stewed, baked and boiled vegetables that reduce blood sugar and improve the work of the pancreas.
This onion can also be pickled, and then added to salads, cheeses or kebabs.
Recipes of traditional medicine
Useful properties of the Yalta onions were adopted by folk healers, using a vegetable to treat a variety of diseases. Here are a few effective recipes.
- With ARVI. Squeeze the juice from the head and mix it with honey in a ratio of one to one. Drink four tablespoons one tablespoon.
- Against worms. One cleaned head is poured with a glass of warm water and allowed to brew for seven hours. Take on an empty stomach for half a cup on a course of four to five days.
- Diuretic. Two or three heads chop, pour a glass of warm water, insist eight hours. Drink three times a day for a quarter cup.
- To cleanse the liver. A pound of crushed heads in a blender mixed with 450 g of sugar, insist 10 days in a dark place. Then squeeze the liquid. Eat it once a day, 30 minutes before you eat, three tablespoons. The course is one to three weeks.
- Otitis. Pulp grate, squeeze the juice. Moisten a tampon and insert it into a sore ear. It is important that at the same time the juice does not flow out, because you can burn the mucous.
- In case of injuries and sprains. Grate the onion, place the contents in cheesecloth and apply to the sore spot.
- With hair loss. Weekly throughout the month to rub into the scalp fresh onion juice with vodka or brandy in equal proportions. Wrap a head with a warm towel.
- From corns. Boil one cleaned onion for 30 minutes in vinegar. Cool the broth. Soak a cotton swab in it and apply to the corns.
Important! If you have any serious illness and are going to use onions for the purpose of treatment, then you will need to get advice from your doctor..
Contraindications and harm
Red onions are not recommended for people to use:
- suffering from various diseases of the liver and kidneys;
- having a history of colitis;
- with problems of the digestive tract, in particular, with increased acidity of the stomach, gastritis, gastroduodenitis, ulcer, pancreatitis, flatulence;
- with allergic reactions;
- with individual intolerance.
With caution you need to eat vegetables pregnant, asthmatics and hypertensive patients.Do not use it on an empty stomach.
In any case, the recommended dose for daily ingestion is 100 g of onion (the average bulb weighs about 75 g).
Did you know? The greatest amount of onions consumed by Libyans. According to UN statistics, on average, one citizen of Libya eats about 33 kg of vegetable per year. The second place in this ranking is occupied by Senegalese. And among Europeans the greatest admirers of onions are Englishmen - one inhabitant of England uses 9.3 kg a year.
How to choose when buying
Red onions are available throughout the year. To choose a quality product, you must pay attention to the following points:
- flat head shape;
- bulb density;
- the thickness of each layer - it must be at least 5 mm;
- smooth, intact scales;
- juiciness and white color of the inside;
- lack of roots from below;
- no damage and stains on the surface;
- sweet taste.
Since very often other types of vegetables give out for Yalta onions, experts advise asking the seller to show the head in section when buying. In the middle there should be no more than six or seven layers of white color with a slight pink shade and a purple border. They should be juicy and dense. When tasted, the inside should be sweet. Impurities of bitterness and burning sensation should not be.Onions, as well as all vegetables, are much tastier if they are grown on their own garden. Learn how to plant and grow different types of onions: bulb, shallot, batun, slizun, leek.
How to store at home
Yalta variety is stored much worse than many others. Under proper conditions, it can lie for about four months.
If you have a private house and there is a basement, then the product is best kept there at a temperature of -3 to +10 degrees. The best temperature for a sweet variety will be 0 degrees. The basement or cellar should be well ventilated and not be wet. When air humidity is above 80%, the product will quickly deteriorate.
For storage, suitable boxes made of wood, cardboard boxes, baskets of wicker, textile and paper bags, nets. Plastic bags are not suitable for this purpose. 
In the same containers you can store the vegetable in the apartment, but already on the mezzanine or in the pantry. The main thing is that they have a good and constant access to air.
Also an excellent option for storage in a residential environment is a refrigerator.
It is important to remember that the product requires thorough drying before storage.
Thus, red onions can be beneficial when used regularly, affecting many internal organs and systems, and can also cause harm if eaten excessively. It is important not to overdo it with this product and do not eat it fresh over the recommended amount.
