Onions may keep osteoporosis at bay, new research on rats indicates

• Onions could help ward off osteoporosis,osteoporosis, the thinning of the bones that often comes with age.
• If so, the popular vegetable could bolster bones while perking up taste buds, suggests a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
• Before you order a bowl of French onion soup, consider this.
• So far, the evidence just comes from tests on bone cells taken from rats.
• There's no reason not to eat onions, but it's too soon to say if they'll help your bones or how much onion it takes.
• Some people with osteoporosis may also take medications to hold the line on bone loss.
• Being small-boned or thin and having a family history of osteoporosis are also risk factors.
• A bone mineral density testbone mineral density test can check for osteoporosis.
• Swiss researchers say a compound in white onions reduced bone breakdown in the rats' bones.
• The compound isn't calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, or other must-have minerals and vitamins for bones.must-have minerals and vitamins for bones.
• Scientists from the University of Bern in Switzerland fed dried white onion flakes (or extracts made from onion flakes) to young male rats.
• Judging by levels of that chemical in the rats' urine, the onion-eating rats lost less bone.
• Next, the researchers harvested bone cells from rats.
• Then, the cells were exposed to parathyroid hormone, which increases bone breakdown.
• GPCS was the only onion compound that curbed bone loss, say the researchers.
• They want to test GPCS further and search for any related compounds.
• They have the highest total antioxidant activity of all onions; that might help fight cancer cells, says a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry's November edition.
• WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise: "Osteoporosis - Topic Overview."
• WebMD Medical News: "Pungent Onions Make Potent Cancer Fighters."