Onion vs. Turnip — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison
Summary
Turnips are nearly three times higher in vitamin C than onions. They are also richer in copper, potassium, and calcium.
On the other hand, onions provide more vitamin A and phosphorus than turnips. Onions are also richer in proteins.
Table of contents
Introduction
This article will compare turnips and onions regarding their nutritional content and health impact. Here we will discuss the differences between raw turnip (1) and raw onion (2).
Macronutrients
Although onion and turnip contain about 90% water, the distribution of macronutrients differs. The nutrients they give are compared below in the quantities that they provide.
Macronutrient Comparison
Calories
Turnips and onions are low-calorie foods because they are non-sweet vegetables. However, onions are higher in calories than turnips, providing 40 calories per 100g, while turnips have 28 calories.
Carbs
Both onions and turnips are low in carbs. However, in terms of carbs, onions are higher compared to turnips. They provide 3g more carbs.
Turnips are lower in net carbs: 100g has 4.6g of net carbs, while the same amount of onions contains 7.6g.
Protein
Turnips and onions are plant food products. Hence, they do not provide much protein. Still, onions are higher in proteins than turnips.
Vitamins
The two vegetables are rich in different vitamins.
Turnips are an excellent source of vitamin C: they are approximately three times higher in vitamin C (21mg per 100g) than Onions (7.4mg per 100g).
Onions are richer in vitamins B1, B6, and K, while turnips provide more vitamins B3, B5, and E.
Vitamin Comparison
Minerals
Turnips are the champions in this section. They are higher in calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, and copper.
Turnips are more than two times higher in copper than onions.
You can check these two vegetables' mineral compositions in the chart below.
Mineral Comparison
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index of onions is equal to 15, while turnips have a glycemic index equal to 73.
Onions are considered a low-GI food, whereas turnips are high-GI food.
Health impact
Cancer
Turnips and Onions contain different plant compounds with anticancer properties.
Turnips have chemicals called glucosinates. They are a group of bioactive compounds with antioxidant capacities that help reduce oxidative stress-reducing cancer risk (3) (4). A higher intake of glucosinates is linked with a reduced risk of colon, rectal, and lung cancers (5) (6) (7).
The anticancer properties of Onions are mostly linked with sulfur-containing compounds. For instance, onion provides onionin A, a sulfur-containing chemical that decreases tumor development and inhibits the spread of lung and ovarian cancers (8) (9).
Diabetes
Both these vegetables have anti-diabetic effects connected with the different chemicals they provide.
Turnips help maintain blood glucose levels by lowering glucose production in the liver and reducing the absorption of carbs (10) (11).
Onions possess anti-diabetic effects by producing quercetin, an antioxidant that helps control blood sugar regulation (12).
Protection Against Bacteria
Both Onions and Turnips are involved in antibacterial activities.
Turnips glucosinates can turn into isothyocianates that inhibit bacterial and microbial growth (13). These compounds are effective against harmful bacteria such as E.Coli and S. Aureus (14) (15).
Onion extracts inhibit Vibrio cholerae and Helicobacter pylori (16) (17).
Cardiovascular Health
Onions have various antioxidants that aid in combating oxidative stress and protecting the body from harm. One such antioxidant found in abundance in onions is quercetin. Quercetin has the potential to reduce high blood pressure levels. Studies have demonstrated that using onion extracts can significantly decrease systolic blood pressure, thanks to their quercetin content (18).
References
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170465/nutrients
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170000/nutrients
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30561035/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19683241/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19035553/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29936713/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30445746/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27393711/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4941721/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4418064/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4800080/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27633685/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25378563/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25353177/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20632977/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21702293/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19127724/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7254783/
Infographic
Fat Type Comparison
Comparison summary table
Lower in Sugar | |||
Lower in Saturated Fat | |||
Lower in price | |||
Rich in minerals | |||
Lower in Sodium | |||
Lower in Glycemic Index | |||
Lower in Cholesterol | Equal | ||
Rich in vitamins | Equal |
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
Nutrient | Opinion | ||
Net carbs | 7.64g | 4.63g | |
Protein | 1.1g | 0.9g | |
Fats | 0.1g | 0.1g | |
Carbs | 9.34g | 6.43g | |
Calories | 40kcal | 28kcal | |
Fructose | 1.29g | ||
Sugar | 4.24g | 3.8g | |
Fiber | 1.7g | 1.8g | |
Calcium | 23mg | 30mg | |
Iron | 0.21mg | 0.3mg | |
Magnesium | 10mg | 11mg | |
Phosphorus | 29mg | 27mg | |
Potassium | 146mg | 191mg | |
Sodium | 4mg | 67mg | |
Zinc | 0.17mg | 0.27mg | |
Copper | 0.039mg | 0.085mg | |
Manganese | 0.129mg | 0.134mg | |
Selenium | 0.5µg | 0.7µg | |
Vitamin A | 2IU | 0IU | |
Vitamin E | 0.02mg | 0.03mg | |
Vitamin C | 7.4mg | 21mg | |
Vitamin B1 | 0.046mg | 0.04mg | |
Vitamin B2 | 0.027mg | 0.03mg | |
Vitamin B3 | 0.116mg | 0.4mg | |
Vitamin B5 | 0.123mg | 0.2mg | |
Vitamin B6 | 0.12mg | 0.09mg | |
Folate | 19µg | 15µg | |
Vitamin K | 0.4µg | 0.1µg | |
Tryptophan | 0.014mg | 0.009mg | |
Threonine | 0.021mg | 0.025mg | |
Isoleucine | 0.014mg | 0.036mg | |
Leucine | 0.025mg | 0.033mg | |
Lysine | 0.039mg | 0.036mg | |
Methionine | 0.002mg | 0.011mg | |
Phenylalanine | 0.025mg | 0.017mg | |
Valine | 0.021mg | 0.03mg | |
Histidine | 0.014mg | 0.014mg | |
Saturated Fat | 0.042g | 0.011g | |
Monounsaturated Fat | 0.013g | 0.006g | |
Polyunsaturated fat | 0.017g | 0.053g |
Which food is preferable for your diet?
Low Fats diet | Equal | |
Low Carbs diet | ||
Low Calories diet | ||
Low Glycemic Index diet |
People also compare
Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
Comparison summary
References
All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.
- Onion - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170000/nutrients
- Turnip - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170465/nutrients
All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.