Onion (Allium cepa L.) and garlic (Allium sativum L.), among the oldest cultivated plants, are used both as a food and for medicinal applications. In fact, allium bulb plants are a rich source of several phytonutrients recognized as important elements of the Mediterranean diet, but are also used in the treatment and prevention of a number of diseases, including cancer, coronary heart disease, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes type 2, hypertension, cataract and disturbances of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. colic pain, flatulent colic and dyspepsia). These activities are related to the thiosulfinates, volatile sulfur compounds, which are also responsible for the pungent of these vegetables. Besides these low-molecular weight compounds, onion and garlic are characterized by more polar compounds of phenolic and steroidal origin, often glycosilated, showing interesting pharmacological properties. These latter compounds, compared to the more studied thiosulfinates, present the advantages to be not pungent and more stable to cooking. Click Garlic to buy a garlic supplement. Eating allium sativum can cause bad breath.

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Allium Sativum and Cancer
Diallyl disulfide (DADS), an important component of garlic ( Allium sativam ) has been demonstrated to exert a potential chemopreventive activity against human cancers. Diallyl disulfide inhibits proliferation of both androgen dependent and independent prostate cancer cells in vitro.

Reduce Cancer Risk with Allium
There appears to be an inverse correlation between allium consumption and Cancer.
Onion and garlic use and human cancer
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 84, No. 5, 1027-1032, November 2006. From the Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri," Milan, Italy.
Interest in the potential benefits of allium vegetables, in particular, onion ( Allium cepa ) and garlic ( Allium sativum ), has its origin in antiquity. We investigated the role of allium vegetables in the etiology of various neoplasms. Using data from an integrated network of Italian and Swiss case-control studies, we analyzed the relation between frequency of onion and garlic use and cancer at several sites. Consumption of onions varied between 0–14 and 0–22 portions per week among cases and controls, respectively. The multivariate ORs for the highest category of onion and garlic intake were, respectively, 0.16 and 0.61 for cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx, 0.12 and 0.43 for esophageal cancer, 0.44 and 0.74 for colorectal cancer, 0.17 and 0.56 for laryngeal cancer, 0.75 and 0.90 for breast cancer, 0.27 and 0.78 for ovarian cancer, 0.29 and 0.81 for prostate cancer, and 0.62 and 0.69 for renal cell cancer. Conclusions: This uniquely large data set from southern European populations shows an inverse association between the frequency of use of allium vegetables and the risk of several common cancers. Allium vegetables are a favorable correlate of cancer risk in Europe.

Allium Cepa
The onion species, Allium cepa, are divided into three groups: the Cepa Group includes the typical bulbing onions which have a single enlarged bulb, and are propagated from seeds; the Aggregatum Group includes shallots, multiplier onions, and potato onions, which do not produce seeds; the Proliferum Group includes top-setting onions, walking onions, Egyptian onions and tree onions.
     Onion oil may exert chemopreventive action by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in tumor cells. Protective effects of Allium vegetables against cancers have been shown extensively in experimental animals and epidemiologic studies. Researchers investigated cell proliferation and the induction of apoptosis by onion oil extracted from Allium cepa, a widely consumed Allium vegetable, in human lung cancer A549 cells. Analysis suggested that propyl sulfides but not allyl sulfides are major sulfur-containing constituents of onion oil. Onion oil significantly induced apoptosis. It also caused cell cycle arrest.

Allium Cepa and Quercetin content
Quercetin content in field-cured onions ( Allium cepa L ): effects of cultivar, lifting time, and nitrogen fertilizer level.
J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Aug 23;54(17):6185-91.Department of Crop Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
Variation in quercetin content was investigated in field-cured onions ( Allium cepa ) that had been supplied with different nitrogen fertilizer levels and lifted at different developmental stages. Quercetin content varied significantly between years and was well correlated to global radiation in August. Field curing generally resulted in significant increases in quercetin content compared to levels at lifting. Nitrogen fertilizer level did not affect quercetin content of allium cepa, suggesting that nitrogen leakage from soil may be minimized without effects on flavonol content. Lifting time had minor effects on quercetin content in field-cured allium cepa. Cultivar differences in quercetin content were significant but not consistent in all years. Quercetin content increased significantly less in dark environments compared to field curing, but some quercetin synthesis occurred regardless of light. Field curing with or without foliage still attached did not affect quercetin content, suggesting that no transportation from the foliage to the scales occurred.

Allium giganteum
Common name is Giant Allium

Allium flower - allium globemaster
The ornamental flowering alliums, although relatives of plain old garlic, are much more impressive bloomers. Nor are you restricted to white blooms. Globemaster allium, for instance, bears striking purple blossoms and
 is quite attractive.

Allium vegetables • onion • Allium cepa • garlic • Allium sativum • tomato • diet • risk factors • oral cancer • pharyngeal cancer • esophageal cancer • colorectal cancer • laryngeal cancer • breast cancer • ovarian cancer • prostate cancer • renal cell cancer

Allium questions
Q. I have halitosis even when I don't eat allium products. What else causes this condition?
   A. See halitosis for a full discussion.