Onions can do much more for your health than make your eyes water, according to new research from Australia. Scientists at the University of Southern Queensland found that rutin derived from onions improved heart and liver functioning and reduced abdominal fat in rats previously fed a high-carb, high-fat diet. The rats had all developed signs of metabolic syndrome, a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Rutin is found in other foods as well, such as apples and red wine. Professor Lindsay Brown, the lead investigator, says that rutin may help reverse the anti-inflammatory response caused by an unhealthy diet: “What we have found in our rats tells us that rutin could improve the quality and quantity of life in people, with no known side effects.” The study will be published in next month’s Journal of Nutrition. University of Southern Queensland