Health benefits of onions

Onion is members of the lily family which also includes leeks, garlic, chives, etc. Onion is used in almost all types of foods. But then, other than being used in food, the onions do also have some health benefits. Early settlers used onions for treating cough and cold and to repel away many harmful insects. Onion is also useful for many bacteria including Salmonella, Bacillus subtilis, E.coli etc.
There are many other health benefits of onion. A regular and proper diet containing the useful percentage of onion can lower down cholesterol levels of people and can also keep high blood pressure within control. They contain immense amount of essential nutrients like Vitamin B6, C, manganese, chromium, potassium, phosphorus, copper, etc.
The onions also prove helpful by reducing the chances of heart attack and stroke. They can also prevent atherosclerosis. People suffering from diabetes should also use onions. This is because onion contains allyl propyl disulfide which helps in reducing the blood sugar level by increasing the amount of free insulin in blood.