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# Onion protects against type 2 diabetes mellitus - updated
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/onion_protects_against_type_2_diabetes_mellitus_0920141212/
- Published: 2014-09-20T13:11:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:45:01.000Z
- Description: A review in Nutrition argues onion could be a cheap tool against type 2 diabetes, crediting sulfur compounds such as S-methylcysteine and flavonoids like quercetin with lowering glucose, lipids and oxidative stress. Preliminary trials found sliced onion lowered blood sugar in patients.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Food, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Saturday Sep 20, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- S. Chen at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China and colleagues published a review in Nutrition suggests that onion, scientifically known as Allium sepa can be cost effective at preventing or treating type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Foods and dietary supplements are desired for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus as long term use of conventional antidiabetic medications may cause adverse effects even though they are effective in the management of blood sugar.

Onion has been used traditionally to treat different diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus. Sulfur compounds in onion including S-methylcysteine and flavonoids such as quercetin are considered mainly responsible for the hypoglycemic activity of onion. 

Indeed, some studies suggest those sulfur compounds are antidiabetic. The review says S-methylcysteine and flavonoids can not only decrease the serum levels of glucose, lipids, oxidative stress, and lipid peroxidation, but also increase antioxidant enzyme activity and insulin secretion.

Previous studies reveal extracts of onion render hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects by "normalizing the activities of liver hexokinase, glucose 6-phosphatase and HMG coenzyme-A reductase" according to the review. 

The sufficient hypoglycemic activity of sliced onion has been demonstrated even in preliminarily clinical trials of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus indicating that onion may be used to treat diabetes. 

Another report published in 2013 showed that onion is commonly used in Egypt to treat diabetes mellitus type 2.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus in many cases are very easy to prevent. Indian studies suggest that taking curcumin supplement and spirulina can help prevent diabetes. Many herbs can be used to prevent or treat the disease. (David Liu, PHD)

Updated on Sep 23, 2014

*Akash MS, Rehman K, Chen S. Spice plant Allium cepa: Dietary supplement for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nutrition. 2014 Oct;30(10):1128-37.*

*Khalil SH1, Zaki A, Ibrahim AM, El-Moughazi AM, Khater AM, Youssef AM, El-Sa'ed AT, Rashed EM. Pattern of use of complementary and alternative medicine among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Alexandria, Egypt. J Egypt Public Health Assoc. 2013 Dec;88(3):137-42.*

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