Photo: Engin Akyurt

Do onions thicken blood?

Cooked or raw, garlic and onions may help ward off heart disease. There is evidence that these two allium vegetables tend to "thin the blood," discouraging blood clots that trigger heart attacks and strokes.

orlandosentinel.com - ONIONS, GARLIC THIN THE BLOOD - Orlando Sentinel

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Cooked or raw, garlic and onions may help ward off heart disease.

There is evidence that these two allium vegetables tend to "thin the blood," discouraging blood clots that trigger heart attacks and strokes. For one thing, garlic and onions can help make blood platelets less sticky and, as a result, less likely to clump together to form clots, said John Martyn Bailey, George Washington University School of Medicine. But it is commonly believed that the "blood-thinning" agents in garlic and onions are greatly diminished or destroyed by cooking. If so, only raw onions and garlic would work. Now, a new study by Bailey and co-workers, has identified three blood-thinning agents in garlic and onions - and the main one, he said is adenosine, which survives cooking. Therefore, cooked garlic and onions should also act as anticoagulants. Further, Bailey noted, adenosine is a blood-vessel relaxant, which suggests onions and garlic might help reduce blood pressure. He also says Chinese black mushrooms, called "tree ears" are rich in adenosine and are anticoagulants. Niacin warning Niacin can lower your blood cholesterol and perhaps help ward off heart disease. You don't need a prescription to get it, and many pharmacists recommend it. However, there is new evidence niacin can be dangerous, said Jere P. Segrest, University of Alabama School of Medicine. He is talking about "sustained-release" or "slow-or timed-release" forms of the B vitamin niacin. "Nobody should take sustained-release niacin unless a physician is following them carefully and doing liver-function tests," warned Segrest. He and colleagues recently reported four cases of liver damage in people taking sustained-release-type niacin. Regular so-called crystalline-type niacin was not harmful, but is more likely to cause flushing. Segrest fears that many people taking sustained-release niacin may unknowingly inflict liver damage. However, he said, "it is reversible if we catch it early enough." Some signs that niacin may be causing liver problems, Segrest said, are: extreme fatigue, dark urine, yellowing eyes or skin and a sense of "malaise or just feeling bad." If you are taking sustained-release niacin and have such symptoms, by all means check with your physician, said Segrest, and switch to regular niacin.

How much fish oil?

If a little fish oil is good for the heart, is more a lot better? Probably not, say Dutch investigators. In a new study, they set out to find the best heart-protective dose of so-called omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. They fed various doses of fish oil to 45 healthy men for three months. They analyzed how much omega-3 actually got into cell membranes and the benefits to the blood. The fish oil was on top of the men's regular diet of one fish dish a week. Their conclusion: a low dose (1.5 grams of omega-3) was good; a medium dose (3 grams) was much better - but a high dose (6 grams) was no more protective than the 3-gram dose. The men's tissues simply did not absorb significantly greater amounts of fish oil, nor were blood benefits boosted much. That means if you already eat a little fish, an extra 3 grams of omega-3 a day may be the most you need to protect your heart. That's the amount in 4 1/2 ounces of raw Atlantic mackerel; 7 ounces of raw Atlantic salmon; 7 1/2 ounces of pickled herring; 15 ounces of canned white (albacore) tuna; 6 1/2 ounces of canned sardines and 8 ounces of whitefish. Other research shows that eating even one-fifth that much helps prevent heart attacks.

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Do onions help build muscle?

Spring onions Scallion bulbs are a bright idea for your body; they contain allicin, which aids muscle repair and increases antioxidant activity, Phytotherapy Research reports.

menshealth.com - 10 best foods for building a six-pack - Men's Health

Spring onions

Scallion bulbs are a bright idea for your body; they contain allicin, which aids muscle repair and increases antioxidant activity, Phytotherapy Research reports.

Fennel

Ditch the bananas. This herb provides potassium aplenty. One bulb has 27% of your RDA, helping fight gas and curb hunger. You’ll be all bulk and no bloat.

Rocket

Packed full of nitrate, these greens boost your blood flow and oxygen supply, so you can make better use of your gym time. Your muscle gains are sure to rocket.

Avocado

The flesh is full of vitamin B6, which reduces fatigue and helps your body turn carbs into energy. Pick up a pear and power through pre-holiday workouts.

Mint

Working for six-pack definition stresses your abs, which can lead to spasms and knots. Mint works as a natural muscle relaxant. Leaf the pain out of training.

Chilli

Beat infections with beta-carotene. Chilli ups your dose of multiple vitamins to keep germs at bay – useful if the guy on the bike before you didn’t wipe it down.

Tuna steak

This meaty fish is heart-healthy. It’s rich in potassium but sodium-poor, curbing your risk of high BP. It also reduces water retention. Your abs have nowhere to hide.

Cucumber

As one of the few foods that contains silica, cucumber improves calcium assimilation to boost bone density and strength, keeping you in the running.

Red onion

It’s a top source of anti-inflammatory quercetin, a flavonoid that increases your nitric oxide, for better stamina, says the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Lemon

This sharp finisher is packed with vit C – an ally for energising iron. It enhances the mineral’s absorption, squeezing more from the rocket and tuna: a perfect pairing.

Photography: Louisa Parry

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