Composition, calorie content, benefits and harms of onion oil. How to cook it yourself and add to what dishes?
Onion oil is a popular spicy dressing in Chinese cuisine, which is actively added to a variety of dishes - salads, soups, vegetable side dishes, fish and meat delicacies. It often becomes the basis for various marinades. It is prepared from green onions based on any vegetable oil - sunflower, olive, sesame, peanut, etc. First, the onion stalks are boiled in it, and then the dressing is filtered through a strainer and cooled. The oil taken as a basis seriously affects the taste of the final product, and therefore many experiment for a long time in search of the best recipe. Although, however, in China they are sure that onion dressing is not so much a taste as a benefit. Many beneficial properties are attributed to it.
The composition and calorie content of onion oil
In the photo, onion oil
The energy value of onion oil, like any other, is quite high, and therefore it should be added to dishes in moderation, especially if there is a desire to normalize weight.
According to various sources, the calorie content of onion oil ranges from 465 to 770 kcal per 100 g
At the same time, most of all the dressing contains, of course, fats; proteins and carbohydrates are also present in small amounts.
The useful composition of onion oil is largely determined by what is taken as a basis, but such a component as onion does not change. Due to its presence in the recipe, the product boasts the content of many useful components. It contains B vitamins, as well as vitamins C and D, minerals - calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iodine, sodium. However, the presence of specific substances is especially important, among which are quercetin, glycosides, various enzymes, tannins.
Useful properties of onion oil
It is difficult to say what is more valuable for the Chinese - the taste or the benefits of onion oil. The product is highly respected in Asia and is credited with many beneficial properties. Spicy dressing is used in folk medicine to treat a wide range of diseases, from mild weakness and fatigue to serious cardiovascular ailments.
The benefits of onion oil:
- Antibacterial effect … Onions are the strongest natural antibiotic, and therefore provide an anti-inflammatory effect. This effect is so powerful that often the spicy dressing is even used externally for the healing of various wounds and infections on the skin. And, of course, it helps with internal inflammatory processes.
- Strengthening immunity … The product strengthens the body's defenses, affects the resistance to various infections. It is especially effective in preventing colds. Therefore, using onion oil on the menu during flu epidemics is a great idea. However, the dressing is capable of providing not only a preventive, but also a curative effect - it saves from coughing, has an expectorant effect.
- Toning effect … Often, the product is used to increase the general tone of the body: it is given to patients for a speedy recovery, and is also used for stress, depression, insomnia. The product copes well with general overwork. Also popular as an appetite stimulant.
- Prevention of diabetes mellitus … Due to the presence of specific components in the composition, the product has an antidiabetic effect, lowering blood sugar levels. It is effective, however, not only as a prophylaxis, its use is very important in the diet of a person who already has a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.
- Choleretic effect … Onion oil also has a good effect on the function of the gallbladder, helping it to work in an active mode, secreting the right amount of bile and allowing better digestion of food fats.
- Improving bowel function … When the dressing is included in the diet, it also has a positive effect on the digestive system. Firstly, it is a source of B vitamins - the main metabolic vitamins that determine the efficiency of converting food into energy. In addition, the product relieves nausea, has a general stimulating effect, as a result, the appetite is normalized, the beneficial components are absorbed more fully, and the harmful ones are quickly excreted.
Due to the presence of a component such as quercetin in onions, the product is also credited with many other healing properties, up to anticancer. However, you still need to understand that it is worth counting on such a beneficial effect, rather, if the onion is used fresh.
Contraindications and harm of onion oil
Despite all the beneficial properties of the onion vegetable, the spicy Asian dressing is a rather controversial food product. The main reason to consider it ambiguous is that when cooking oil, you have to boil it for a very long time. As a rule, this process is accompanied by various oxidative reactions that lead to the formation of carcinogens. In addition, if improperly cooked, you can exceed the smoking temperature and completely ruin everything, turning a potentially useful food product into an absolutely harmful one.
Therefore, if you want to get only the benefits from the spice, first of all choose a suitable base - olive and avocado oil are good. They are monounsaturated and oxidize less significantly than polyunsaturated ones - sunflower, sesame, etc. But even having chosen the right base, keep an eye on the cooking temperature, it should not exceed 200OC. Use smallest fire and use a flame splitter.
However, even properly prepared onion oil can be harmful for certain health features. Refueling is contraindicated in most diseases of the digestive system and other diseases involving a therapeutic diet. Therefore, if you have such ailments, be sure to first consult with your doctor regarding the introduction of the product into the diet. It is especially dangerous for those who have stones in the gallbladder, in which case the choleretic effect can provoke an attack.
In addition, you need to understand about possible individual intolerance, and therefore you should always try refueling with caution. If you are lucky enough to buy onion oil in some Asian country, this rule takes on special significance, since it is often prepared in Asia on the basis of unfamiliar oils, for example, peanut oils.
And finally, do not forget about the high calorie content, for this reason, the product should be consumed in very moderate quantities, especially if you want to normalize weight.
Note! Do not add spicy dressing to the diet during the feeding period, there is a risk of changing the taste of milk and allergies in the baby.
