New scientific research has discovered the humble onion could be just what the doctor ordered to give our brains a boost. The research findings could prove valuable in the fight against aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, while also providing protection from the effects of modern life.

The scientific breakthrough comes from Hokkaido Tokai University in Japan, where researchers have discovered that a sulphur-containing compound found in onions has the potential to greatly improve memory impairment.

The study found that sulphur atoms in the compound have the ability to bond with an array of harmful cellular toxins commonly found in modern life - such as traffic fumes, cigarette smoke and industrial pollution - which can pose a threat to cognitive function. The sulphur atoms can actually remove these damaging toxins by a process of chelation, suggesting that onions can help to ‘clean’ the brain after exposure to toxins.

Founder of The Food Doctor, author, broadcaster and health journalist Ian Marber comments: "Onions are one of the richest and most readily available sources of sulphur-containing compounds which have been shown to slow down the deterioration of memory usually associated with ageing. Onion extract has also been shown to maintain the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is involved in processing emotions as well as memory."

Sulphur is not the only nutrient with a powerful effect on cognitive decline; a recent ten-year French study has also found that high flavonoid intakes can reduce the decline in mental function associated with age; onions are an effective source of quercetin, a multi-tasking flavonoid recognised as a more potent antioxidant than vitamin E - absorption of Quercetin from onions is twice that from tea and three times that from apples.

The researchers, from France’s Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) and the Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, recruited 1,640 subjects with an average age of 77 and free of dementia at the start of the study and assessed dietary intakes of flavonoids using food frequency questionnaires four times over 10 years.

After adjusting the results for potential confounding factors, such as age, sex, and educational level, Letenneur and co-workers report that flavonoid intake was associated with both better cognitive performance at the start of the study and better evolution of mental performance over time.

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