IMPACT OF ONION ON GASTROINTESTINAL DISCOMFORT AMONG BEAN EATERS IN SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA

This study was carried out to evaluate the medicinal effect of putting onion just at the start of cooking beans. This is in view of the problems of indigestion people experience when they eat beans. The research was carried out to find a solution to problems like flatulence, diarrhea, heartburn etc which most people experience on eating beans. Five Secondary Schools were involved in this study in which three hundred and twenty two (322) cross sectional subjects were interviewed using questionnaires. All the subjects had one or more of the common problems of indigestion with beans. They were asked to cook beans for three months, putting onion when the beans was almost done. Then they were asked to cook for another three months putting onion just at start of cooking. It was observed that at the first instance when onion was put late, the problems of indigestion persisted. However, there was significant reduction in problems like heartburn, body weakness, stomach swelling, diarrhea, flatulence and vomiting when onion was put at start of cooking