Onions and blood cholesterol
Modern herbalists recommend onion syrup as an expectorant (it helps eliminate mucus from the respiratory tract). Onions are also believed to be diuretic and to reduce high blood pressure.
Onions also have a profound effect on blood cholesterol by raising the good and lowering the bad. In fact, Dr. Victor Gurewich, a professor of medicine at Tufts University, has made a careful study of cardiovascular disease and onions and simply advises: "Eat onions."
The therapeutic components in onions also slow blood clotting in addition to regulating blood sugar, breaking up bronchial congestion and possibly preventing cancer. Luckily, you don't have to gorge on onions to get protection for your heart. Some doctors say as little as ½ a raw onion will boost good cholesterol by 30%. And a single tablespoon of cooked onions will nullify the adverse effects of eating a fatty meal.
Onions are also effective against bacteria like the deadly E. coli and salmonella. Onions possess a strong antibiotic that kills a variety of bacteria responsible for illnesses ranging from diarrhea to tuberculosis.
The people of the Bible were among the first to treat colds and similar ailments with onions. Now, technology is confirming that many of those age-old folk remedies have scientific proof.