Some of us may have heard a saying “You are what you eat”. The saying is often associated with various kinds of health problems. Yes, the food you eat does have an important role in determining overall body health. There have been many studies that show that poor diet can also lead to poor health.

In the previous article, it was known that cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cabbage could help fighting cancer cell development by restoring the function of proteins that are important in the fight against cancer cells. In addition to vegetables, according to the results of a study published in Nutrition and Cancer, the researchers found that onion and garlic also have the same potential in fighting cancer, especially breast cancer.

In their study, the researchers analysed 314 women with a history of breast cancer and 346 other women aged 30-70 years old. Researchers used a questionnaire to find out the diet of each participant, especially the intake of onion and garlic. Puerto Rico was chosen as the study area because it has a low rate of people living with breast cancer. Women there are also known to consume more onion and garlic compared to other countries in America or Europe. Puerto Rican people also often consume sofrito, a unique spice made from both types of onions.

The results show that women who consume sofrito once per day have a lower risk of developing breast cancer by 67% compared to those who have never consumed both onion and garlic. The researchers further explained that the onion and garlic contain flavonols and organosulphur which are anti-cancer. So, in addition to improving the taste in cooking, onion and white can also help you in maintaining a healthy body.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay

Source(s):

• Desai, G., Santos, M.S., Nazario, C.M., et al (2019). Onion and Garlic Intake and Breast Cancer, a Case Control Study in Puerto Rico. Nutrition and Cancer, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2019.1651349.
• Healthline - You May Be Able to Lower Your Breast Cancer Risk by Eating More Onions, Garlic (2019). https://www.healthline.com/health-news/lower-breast-cancer-risk-eating-onions-garlic, 2 October 2019.