Onion tea might make you tear up, but listen to your gut

Onion beverage whitethorn not beryllium popular—although successful a fewer uncommon households the bulbs marque for a redoubtable remedy for cold—but India’s user affairs ministry believes it mightiness person stumbled upon a unique, gut-friendly blend.

The ministry, which is backing a program to produce sweeteners extracted from bulb waste, specifically for India’s wide demographic of diabetics, is besides sponsoring a squad that wants to marque prebiotic beverage from onions.

As with the onion-based sweetener, the thought for producing beverage from the rootlike was among winners selected by the section of user affairs successful a 2022 expansive bulb challenge.

A squad being incubated by the Indore-based Acropolis Institute of Management Studies and Research (AIMSR) has developed the onion-based tea, which it says offers benefits specified arsenic improved gut health, enhanced immune function, reduced inflammation, and value absorption support.

Also read: Is an bulb sweetener a agleam bulb thought to combat diabetes?

“Currently, the connection (for the last product) is nether reappraisal for approval," said an authoritative from the user affairs ministry. “The (institute) has received archetypal fiscal assistance exceeding ₹5 lakh, on with a prize of ₹75,000."

Teams from the user affairs ministry arsenic good arsenic the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India person already evaluated the manufacturing process for the bulb tea, this authoritative said, asking not to beryllium identified.

The user affairs caput and the main enforcement of FSSAI didn’t reply to emailed queries.

A unsocial blend

What’s unsocial astir the prebiotic bulb tea, according to the institute, is that it’s infused with inulin-fructo-oligosaccharides, oregon inulin-FOS, a blend of dietary fibres that enactment gut wellness by promoting the maturation of beneficial bacteria successful the colon. Besides, inulin besides serves arsenic a sweetener with debased caloric value.

“The patent for the merchandise has been published, and the process of launching it successful the unfastened marketplace nether the PreBiotea marque sanction is underway," said Pragya Goyal, the person of a squad of 4 that’s moving connected the onion-tea astatine the Acropolis Group of Institutes's incubation centre, Acrobizz.

The blend for the beverage is prepared by boiling onions to extract the prebiotic content. About 60 grams of inulin-fructo-oligosaccharides tin beryllium extracted from astir 1 kg of onions—the main bulb of an onion, sprouted onions with excess roots, oregon unconsumed onions without peels.

“We person developed the accumulation process of purified inulin-FOS pulverization from discarded oregon unconsumed onions," said Goyal, adjunct professor, section of biosciences, AIMSR.

Sustainable solution

The onion-tea bags, each containing 3g for 1 serving, volition beryllium disposable successful sachets priced astatine ₹12- ₹15 by the extremity of the year. It volition initially beryllium launched successful 3 flavours—cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon.

The onions would beryllium sourced straight from farmers for the extraction of inulin-FOS, providing a sustainable solution to farmers near with surplus oregon unconsumed onions.

The support beingness of the last merchandise volition beryllium betwixt 3 and 6 months nether packaged conditions and without refrigeration.

“It is evident that galore earthy ingredients provided by parent world person affluent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties," said Dr. Monashis Sahu, an endocrinologist. 

“However, that whitethorn not beryllium the lawsuit with each manufactured product," Sahu added. “It needs to beryllium scientifically and meticulously reviewed for immoderate properties claimed by the manufacturers."