How many meal recipes do you have that do not include onions? How many are there? That is what we thought. When it comes to cooking, onions (and garlic) are like salt and pepper in that they do not stand out as a dominant flavor, but they do improve the taste of any food.
We like onions not just because they taste excellent but also because of the health benefits they provide. When you eat an onion, what happens to your body? A lot of good:
"Onions are abundant in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances, which help prevent heart disease, regulate blood pressure, and avoid blood clots. They're also excellent calorie-free food flavoring agents, "The Nutrition Twins, registered dietitians Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, explain.
Despite their indispensable role in cooking and several health benefits, there is one adverse effect of eating onions to be aware of before cutting open your next allium: onions may induce bloating, cramps, and gas in certain people with sensitive digestive tracts.
"Onions can cause painful gas, cramping, and bloating for some people who have a tough time digesting them, especially people who have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) due to their soluble fibers called fructans (oligosaccharides); these fermentable carbs are poorly absorbed in the small intestine," say The Twins.
Only 5-15 percent of fructans are digested in the small intestine, according to experts. The leftover carbs are transported to the colon, where they are rapidly fermented. This quick fermentation can result in a slight excess gas, but it can also produce significant bloating, cramps, stomach pain, and uneasy bowel movements in people with IBS.
According to Monash University researchers who pioneered the Low-FODMAP Diet, a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that the small intestine absorbs poorly, IBS affects one in every seven persons. If you have developed a FODMAP sensitivity and discover that onions cause you to have more gas, talk to a trained dietitian or health professional about your choices, which may include reducing your intake of comparable foods or testing for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
FODMAPs are fermentable carbohydrates, such as those found in onions, according to The Twins. "For persons who are sensitive to high-FODMAP meals, limiting their intake can bring significant relief. Onions can cause intestinal problems even in tiny amounts. Although cooked onions are better than raw onions, both can cause digestive issues, "they add.
If you are allergic to onions but still want to use them in your cuisine, do not worry about it—attempt this food hack.
Only water dissolves the fructans in onions that induce sensitivity. That means that when you cook onions in soup or stock, the fructan content will leach out into the water, causing intestinal pain when you eat the food. Alternatively, you can sauté your onions in oil.
"The fructans will not leach out of an oil-based dish (as fructans are not soluble in oil). If you are creating something with oil, such as a stir-fry, you can add a large piece of onion or a whole garlic clove and then remove the details out before adding the rest of the ingredients. You'll get the [flavor] without the fructan content seeping into your dish this way, "According to the FODMAP Blog at Monash University.
There is no need to be concerned if you have not experienced any bloating or cramping after eating onions. However, if you have stomach problems after consuming this allium, you should consult a doctor. If you do not act, you will continue to have these unpleasant side effects.