In a study from Yonsei University in Korea, scientists found that onions may help reduce body fat and improve metabolic health in overweight people.
Onions are rich in antioxidant compounds. Previous research has found that when eaten regularly and in sufficient quantity, these compounds may help protect against chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
Onions may also support heart health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. They also may boost bone health, gut health, and fight against bacteria.
In the current study, researchers examined how taking Jeju steamed onion could influence body fat and metabolic health in overweight people.
The researchers used steamed onions to reduce spiciness and smell and dried them into onion powder.
The team tested 70 people, who were divided into placebo or test groups and were instructed to take before each meal either the placebo or onion capsule for 12 weeks.
The researchers found that compared to the control group, onion supplementation strongly reduced body fat and fat mass without changing lean body mass.
Lean body mass is a part of body composition that is defined as the difference between total body weight and body fat weight.
This means that it counts the mass of all organs except body fat, including bones, muscles, blood, skin, and everything else.
The team also found the CT analysis showed a big decrease in the areas of whole fat, visceral fat (belly fat), and subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin).
In addition, the team found that the levels of triglycerides and C-peptide were much lower after 12 weeks of onion supplementation.
C-peptide is a substance made in the pancreas, along with insulin. It is measured to tell the difference between insulin the body produces and insulin that is injected into the body.
People with type 2 diabetes, obesity, or insulin resistance may have a high C-peptide level. This means their body is producing a lot of insulin to keep their blood sugar normal.
These findings suggest that onion supplementation could help reduce total body fat, and abdominal visceral fat, and improve metabolic health.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people, and early time-restricted eating could help lose weight.
For more information about wellness, please see recent studies about vitamin K deficiency linked to hip fractures in old people, and results showing these vitamins could help reduce bone fracture risk.
The research was published in the Journal of the American Nutrition Association and conducted by Sarang Jeong et al.
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