The Age-Well Project

Change the way you age

Get our posts direct to your inbox

  • About The Age-Well Project
  • Books
    • Our Books
    • Reviews
    • References
  • Blog
  • Recipes
    • Recipes By Ingredient
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Family
    • On The Go
    • Soups and Salads
    • Treats and Snacks
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Press

EAT MORE ONIONS TO KEEP BOWEL CANCER AT BAY: ROAST RED ONIONS WITH ROSEMARY & ROQUEFORT

March 1, 2019 4 Comments

Onions, leeks, garlic and garlic stems, shallots, chives and spring onions (alliums) appear to prevent the development of bowel cancer. A new study involving 830 participants and reported in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology found that the odds of having colorectal (bowel) cancer was 79 percent lower in adults who consumed high amounts of alliums when compared with those who consumed low amounts.

Dr Zhi Li, of the First Hospital of China Medical University, and author of the report said ‘There seems to be a trend: the greater the amount of allium vegetables eaten, the better the protection.’

ALLIUMS MAY ALSO HELP FEND OFF PROSTATE CANCER

Alliums have also proven to be protective against prostate cancer (along with broccoli). We recently attended a lecture from a team of researchers pioneering the consumption of a broccoli and onion soup as means of preventing and protecting against prostate cancer. The results were similarly impressive and about to be published in a prestigious medical journal (you heard it here first).

Alliums are rich in polyphenols, including the flavonoid and antioxidant, quercetin. Red onions have the edge, containing both more fibre and more quercetin than their brown or white counterparts. Alliums also contain sulfur compounds, thought to be anti-inflammatory.

ALLIUMS ARE ALSO LOVED BY OUR MICROBIOTA

Finally, as if that wasn’t enough, alliums are also excellent sources of inulin, a prebiotic much loved by our microbiota. Regular readers will recall an earlier post where we revealed that Jeff Leach, founder of American Gut, eats a lightly sauted leek every day to keep his microbiome healthy and happy.

As bowel and prostate are two of the most prevalent cancers, and as onions are one of the cheapest and most ubiquitous of vegetables there’s no reason not to ‘eat an onion a day to keep the doctor away.’

ROAST RED ONIONS WITH ROSEMARY AND ROQUEFORT

This recipe is simple and delicious. The blue cheese adds calcium, spermidine, protein and probiotics. Use any blue cheese you like – stilton and gorgonzola would work just as well, as would plain old goat’s cheese or a vegan cheese. Replace the sunflower seeds with toasted walnuts if you prefer – both work beautifully. Or leave your cheese-oozing onions unadorned.

This dish takes five minutes to prepare. Then sit back and let the oven do the work. Serve with a green salad for a genuinely ‘fast’ meal.

  • 1 large red onion per person, skin on
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary per onion/person
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup per onion
  • ½ tbsp. olive oil per onion
  • 20 g blue cheese per onion
  • A handful of lightly toasted sunflower seeds

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Slice the onions (skin on) into quarters, but without cutting into the base. You want the onion to stay in one piece. Insert a rosemary sprig into each onion. Drizzle over the maple syrup and olive oil.

Roast for just over an hour, or until the onion is soft and cooked through. Top with the cheese, sprinkle over the sunflower seeds, season and serve while still warm.

We don’t like to keep banging on about our book, but it includes plenty more easy-peasy recipes like this and is available for pre-order at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Age-Well-Project-Ways-Better-Longer/dp/0349419701

Annabel

  • Meal Types: Dinner, Family, Soups and Salads
  • Conditions: Ageing, Cancer
  • Ingredients: Cheese, Onions, Rosemary, sunflower seeds
« WORK OUT, AND YOUR GUT WILL THANK YOU
When to start reducing dementia risk? Now! »

Comments

  1. Charles says

    March 4, 2019 at 8:45 pm

    Red onions , spring onions and leaks are are all really easy to grow too. I do not have much luck with garlic though. I no longer bother to grow white onions as you cannot taste the difference between freshly grown and bought in. Fresh leaks, red onions and spring onions are in a class apart.

    Another good source of insulin is the Jerusalem artichoke, nice as soup or roasted with a whole head of garlic which you cut in half. Squeeze the cooked garlic over the roasted artichokes add a knob of butter and a squeeze of lemon. Serve only to people you know well…. they

    Reply
    • annabel streets says

      March 6, 2019 at 9:59 am

      You are absolutely right about jerusalem artichokes – and in season now. i love them raw, thinly sliced. But i’ll definitely try your suggestion – sounds delicious…

      Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      March 24, 2019 at 4:46 pm

      Love the sound of Jerusalem artichokes and roast garlic – delicious. My parents used to grow garlic and it was fantastic, very different to shop bought.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. ALZHEIMERS: THE LATEST RESEARCH YOU NEED TO KNOW - The Age-Well Project says:
    July 20, 2021 at 7:18 am

    […] Roasted red onions with rosemary and Roquefort […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Welcome to The Age-Well Project

Welcome to The Age-Well Project!
Here you’ll find easy changes for a longer, happier life. We’ve immersed ourselves in the science of longevity and distilled the research to make it work in our everyday lives. You can change the way you age: here’s how.

Favourite Posts

WHY I’VE THROWN OUT ALL MY BEAUTY PRODUCTS (nearly…)

Why Alzheimer’s Is A Women’s Issue

HOW HAVING A DOG CHANGED MY LIFE

GREEN SPACE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SADNESS AND BRAIN-BOOSTING BISCUITS

WHY ‘INFLAMM-AGEING’ COULD START IN THE GUT AND HARISSA-ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD

POLYAMINES – THE NEW SECRET WEAPON FOR AGEING WELL & MOROCCAN SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS.

THINNING AGEING HAIR – WARM CHICKEN LIVER SALAD

About The Age Well Project

This site is for anyone who wants to make the second half of their life as healthy, happy and disease-free as possible. Sign up to get the latest research on ageing – and delicious recipes to match – direct to your inbox.

agewellproject

⭐️Change the way you age
📚The Age-Well Project + Age-Well Plan ⭐️Get tips & recipes on our blog - sign up ⬇️

The Age-Well Project blog
We all want plenty of ‘energy’ but what does t We all want plenty of ‘energy’ but what does that mean?

We’ve got the low down over the blog - what is energy and how we get more?!? 

We’re covering:

🥗The nutrition we need to fuel our mitochondria (the ‘batteries’ of our cells)

⚡️The ‘good stress’ (hormesis) that creates more energy 

🧘‍♀️The importance of breath work 

😴Why we need to rest 

and 

👩‍🍳A whole load of great recipes 

It’s all on the blog - link in bio 

#agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevity #womenover50 #postmenopause #fitover50 #over50 #over50blogger #energy #mitochondria #hormesis #breathwork #wimhof #hypoxictraining #hypoxia #pranayama #wakefulrest #rest #womenwhowalk #selfcare #healthyrecipes
We spend a lot of time suggesting that you get up We spend a lot of time suggesting that you get up and move 🏃‍♀️🚶‍♀️💃 But we were fascinated by recent research into the power of ‘wakeful rest’, particularly if we rock while we do it. 

It seems Granny and her rocking chair were right all along - rockers sleep better. Hammocks are great too, as Annabel is demonstrating here!

And students who take some time to rest after learning something new consolidate their new knowledge better than people who go to sleep, or just get on with their lives. And it seems ten minutes of down-time is enough to deeply embed new memories.

So now we’re rocking and resting! There’s more on the blog - link in bio

#agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #healthblog #longevity #longevityblog #healthyageing #healthyaging #fitover50 #postmenopause #healthyeating #rest #hammock #rockingchair #powernap #memories #dementia #alzheimers
We are delighted to announce that Annabel now has We are delighted to announce that Annabel now has a regular column in @psychologiesmagazine with her first column in the July issue (out now) on the joys of following a river. Grab a copy and find out why following a river was the walk of choice for our female ancestors … 

#agewell #walk #walking
A bottle of beer a day can improve our microbiome A bottle of beer a day can improve our microbiome according to new research published by the @amerchemsociety.  Four weeks of a daily lager (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) improved intestinal health without impacting weight, the researchers speculate that the additional bacteria produced by fermentation might positively interact with the polyphenols contained in lager to enrich the gut. Good news for beer drinkers!  We’re fans of alcohol free beers, particularly on hot days… like this dainty bottle from @brewdogofficial 

#agewell
Isn’t she ageing well?! Yes, yes, we know our Qu Isn’t she ageing well?! Yes, yes, we know our Queen has incredible advantages when it comes to longevity: palaces, retinues of staff, the country’s best doctors…. but there are longevity lessons we can all learn from Her Majesty as we head into the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend 🇬🇧👑🇬🇧

So a trumpet voluntary, please, for our right royal Age-Well celebration….

It’s all on the blog - link in bio 

#agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #healthblog #longevity #longevityblog #jubilee #platinumjubilee #nonagenarian #healthyageing #healthyaging #fitover50 #postmenopause #senseofpurpose #healthyeating #dopaminedressing #queenelizabeth 

📷 @theroyalfamily
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Contact Us

For any enquiries please email theagewellproject@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2022 The Age-Well Project