Onion is one of the most important vegetables. It adds good taste to your meals. The nutritional values of onion are numerous.

Have you ever think about the use of the onion peels?

Well, it's also loaded with many benefits. Keep reading.

Why you need onion's peels

Below are some benefits:

Skin support

Triple board-certified dermatologist Mamina Turegano, M.D. and her 72-year-old mom swear by onion peel tea for supple skin and a youthful complexion. The quercetin in the onion peels helps fight off inflammation and free radicals, two things that can contribute to aging, fine lines, and the development of crepey skin texture. Quercetin may also protect your skin from sun damage.

While any onion skins will do, red onions also contain high levels of anthocyanins, beneficial pigments that are also anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial, and thus can contribute to glowy skin.

Better sleep

Aside from the fact that the act of sipping on tea is relaxing in itself, the tryptophan in onion skin tea may contribute to better quality sleep. If you combine the onion skins with another relaxing herbal tea, like chamomile, you may be able to really optimize the sleep-inducing benefits.


How to use onion peels

Now onto unique uses for onion peels:

Make onion tea

The easiest way to reap the benefits of onion skins is through tea. Look, I know how it sounds, but stick with me for a minute. Onion skins are rich in various vitamins like E and C, plus an amino acid called tryptophan and the antioxidant quercetin. In fact, onion skins contain even higher levels of quercetin than the flesh and core, so don't knock it 'till you try it!

Add onion skins to your green tea

If you can’t stomach the thought of drinking plain onion tea, you have another option: Add onion skins to your green tea as it steeps. According to one study, doing so can help boost the bioavailability of the epicatechins—the main beneficial compounds, like EGCG, in green tea. EGCG can combat inflammation, boost weight loss, and help fight off various chronic diseases, like heart disease and diabetes.

Use them to dye fabric

Another surprising use? As a natural dye for fabric. Pigment-rich skins, like those in red onions, have been used to dye textiles long before artificial coloring came about. If you want to try it yourself, Anjolie Noelle, a botanical and food waste dyer, says the best way to do it is to add the onion skins to a pot of water and let them simmer for an hour before adding the fabric. Once the fabric is in the dye, let it sit for another hour.

Nature is powerful!