By Lori Drummond, R.D., L.D.
When it comes to making healthy food choices, the family of vegetables known as alliums are some of the healthiest foods we can eat. Allium is the Latin name for garlic. The allium family includes onions, garlic, leeks, shallots and chives. In fact, alliums are closely related to grass. Many cultures, including the American culture, use these vegetables to spice up dishes to make them wonderfully delicious. They contain beneficial sulfur compounds that give them their distinctive flavor and aroma, as well as properties that fight cancer.
Onions
Onions (Allium cepa), are known as one of the oldest vegetables to man and is a cousin to garlic. Used by ancient cultures such as the Egyptians, onions contain cancer-fighting compounds including a flavonoid known as quercetin. Studies by the National Cancer Institute have shown that “onions may inhibit the growth of cancer cells, especially cells of the gastrointestinal tract and leukemia cells, possibly by virtue of their quantities of flavonoids, including quercetin [which is not destroyed by cooking or freezing], and their content of coumarin and ellagic acid.” (1) Onions have strong anti-inflammatory properties. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, folate, potassium and manganese, and an excellent source of vitamin C. (6)
Garlic
Garlic (Allium sativum) is native to Central Asia and has long been valued for its culinary and medicinal properties. The strongest-tasting member of the family, garlic is a hardy perennial, whose bulbs are divided into cloves. Volumes have been written on this wonderful allium that is packed with an excellent source of manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C. It is also a good source of selenium, an important nutrient that help the body fight against cancer. (2, 3) “The powerful sulfur-containing compounds include thiosulfinates (of which the best known compound is allicin), sulfoxides (among which the best known compound is alliin), and dithiins (in which the most researched compound is ajoene)”, according to World’s Healthiest Foods (www.whfoods.org). (2)
These compounds work synergistically in the human body to protect cells against cancer-causing toxins, while inhibiting the growth and spread of cancer cells. The American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) reports that researchers have discovered mincing garlic and letting it sit uncovered at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before cooking will activate its cancer-fighting phytochemicals. Using garlic in any way adds some of these healthy compounds to your meal, though roasting garlic will not bring out the phytochemicals like mincing does.(4) [Read more...]
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