When God created Planet Earth, He placed upon it a rich bounty of food products designed to nourish mankind and enhance his health.  As man progressed, he began to understand the healthful properties of certain foods, many of which warded off disease.  In capitalizing upon this knowledge, medical science was born.

The more that man evolved, however, the farther away he moved from the simplicity and benefits of God’s natural gifts.  Huge pharmaceutical companies now produce mass quantities of medicine in manufacturing plants; they sell that medicine for very handsome profits to an economically burdened consumer base.  If you are one of those so burdened and/or if you prefer your drugs organic, read on.  You’re about to be educated with respect to one of God’s marvels: the onion.

A member of the lily family, the onion is a vegetable.  Unlike the tomato, the onion does not form from a flower; unlike many other vegetables, the main part of the onion — the bulb — grows beneath the ground.  This is why it is known as a “root vegetable.”  The things that make you cry when you slice into an onion, the things that render your breath pungent when you eat it are tip-offs to the onion’s powerhouse of remedies.

This vegetable contains a generous supply of a flavonoid known as quercetin.  When ingested, quercertin protects against cataracts, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.  The onion is packed with a variety of natural chemicals called organosulphur compounds, which studies have linked to lower levels of cholesterol and blood pressure.  As an added boon, the vegetable stimulates the human immune system. And, as they say in infomercials, “Wait, there’s more!”  In addition to its flesh, the oil of the onion is a virtual drugstore.  The oil is used as an expectorant, an antiseptic, an antifungal, and an anticoagulant with analgesic (pain-deadening) properties.

Herbalists employ the wondrous onion to relieve or cure infections that attack the bronchial and gastrointestinal parts of the body.  This Superman of veggies emerges the victor when battling colds, flu, congestion, and stomachaches.   Applied to the skin as a compress, the onion also helps to eradicate acne and ease arthritis.

A recent circulating email carried testimonials from people who had claimed to contain illness within their homes via the miraculous onion.  By staying behind closed doors with cut onions placed behind those doors, these folks were said to remain free of the infections suffered by other members of their families.  When I was a child, my mother would cut a raw onion and place it in the kitchen to absorb noxious odors.  Perhaps the onion works the same way in attracting and quarantining inimical germs.

Aside from its medicinal advantages, onions greatly enhance our food.  Burgers, steak, chicken, pork, lamb, soups, stews, sauces, quiche, frittatas, and all manner of salads, including tuna salad, benefit from the sweet-savory flavor of onions.  Diogenes, the ancient Greek philosopher, searched in vain for an honest man.  But having made onions the main component of his diet, he’d found no issue with the integrity of those edible bulbs.

When eaten, the sulfur in onions causes unpleasant breath … which may have contributed to Diogenes’ hopeless search!  If you’ve not taken advantage of the onion’s pluses for that reason, follow these simple guidelines.   Brush not only your teeth after eating the bulbs, but your tongue, gums, and the interior of your cheeks (gently, please!).  Afterward, gargle for two full minutes with a mouthwash.  Then place the bristle end of your toothbrush into a small amount of mouthwash, for a few minutes, to cleanse it.

If you don’t have your toothbrush and mouthwash handy, chew on raw parsley; it neutralizes the onion’s aroma.  Or, make sure that your loved one(s) eat onions the same time that you do.  When you all smell alike, you won’t offend anyone! 

How many times in your life have you heard and dismissed the proverb, “The Lord will provide.”  Well, have faith: provide, He did.  He gave us the plentiful, versatile, healthy, tasty onion!   Bon appetit!