There are many benefits of Dayak onions for health that are a pity to miss. Thanks to these benefits, Dayak onions have even been used for generations as traditional medicine to treat a number of diseases.
Dayak onion (Eleutherine palmifolia L Merr) is a type of onion native to Kalimantan, Indonesia. The shape is almost the same as red onions, but more flat.
Dayak onions thrive in areas that are exposed to a lot of sunlight. However, this onion can also grow and adapt to any climate and soil type.
Various Benefits of Dayak Onions
The health benefits of Dayak onions are attributed to the active compounds it contains, such as flavonoids, naptoquinones, anthraquinones, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, triterpenoids, and steroids.
Below are the various benefits of Dayak onions for health that you can get:
1. Prevents bacterial infection
Thanks to its good antibacterial properties, Dayak onions can prevent you from getting sick due to bacterial infections.
This is evidenced by research which states that the ethanolic extract of Dayak onions is able to fight pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus which can cause various infections, such as skin infections, sepsis, and osteomyelitis.
2. Prevent diabetes
Dayak onions are also useful for preventing diabetes. Because the content eleutherol, eleuthocide A, and eleutherinoside B in Dayak onions has antidiabetic properties.
This content can help lower glucose levels in the blood, so you can also avoid the risk of suffering from diabetes.
3. Fight free radicals
The content of triterpenoids, polyphenols, and flavonoids in Dayak onions act as antioxidants. This content can fight free radical exposure that has the potential to cause damage to cells in the body.
That way, your risk for developing health problems, such as premature aging, cancer, and dementia, can decrease.
4. Maintain bone health
Maintaining bone health is also one of the benefits of Dayak onions. Research shows that the ethanolic extract of Dayak onions can increase bone density and weight. Thus, you can avoid the risk of suffering from bone diseases, such as osteoporosis.
5. Maintain normal cholesterol levels
Dayak onions can keep your cholesterol in normal levels. Because the content eleutherinol in Dayak onions can reduce total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL (bad cholesterol) in the blood.
Thus, you can avoid the risk of experiencing a number of dangerous diseases due to high cholesterol, such as clogged arteries, heart attacks, and strokes.
6. Treating acne
Research shows that Dayak onions have the potential to be developed as an anti-acne drug. This is obtained from the ethanol content of Dayak onions which is proven to be able to inhibit the growth of acne-causing bacteria on the skin, namely: Propionibacterium acnes.
The various benefits of Dayak onions above so far still require further research. Therefore, if you want to use Dayak onions as a treatment for various diseases, you should first consult with your doctor.