Health Tips-10: Onions prevent brittle bones

Onions, garlic and a range of other salad goods may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis - the crippling disease that affects one in three women, usually after the menopause.

The claim comes from researchers at the University of Bern, Switzerland. They said one gram of onion a day can help prevent the process that causes the condition - resorption, where calcium seeps from the bones making them brittle.

Osteoporosis can cause the spine to bend and makes bones more likely to break. In the UK, 52,000 women suffer hip fractures each year as a result of the disease. Estimates put the cost of the disease on NHS somewhere between 600 million to one billion, although it is difficult to quantify as sufferers will often need special care as well as immediate treatment for fractures.

Excerpt from 'Energy Era' of Oct.1, 1999