The Surprising Health Benefits of Shallots

Flavoursome, versatile, and packed with a host of nutritional benefits – shallots might just be the unsung hero of supermarket shelves when it comes to healthy eating.

New year, new me

It’s no secret that many people treat the new year as an opportunity to reintroduce those healthy eating habits, and with nutritionists recommending a minimum of 30 plants a week as part of a healthy diet, adding shallots into the mix is an easy way to max out on nourishment and taste, all while getting those plant points in.

With a sweet and mild flavour profile, shallots are an excellent building block in the foundations of a delicious dish. Not only this, but their abundance of powerful antioxidants and organosulfur compounds bring huge health benefits. High in thiosulfinates that help prevent blood clot formation, and allicin which improves blood circulation by aiding the release of nitric acid, these small but mighty alliums are brilliant for bolstering heart health.

Good mood food

Shallots are a concentrated source of essential nutrients, more so than their onion counterparts, and include high levels of vitamin B6, as well as manganese, copper, folate, and vitamin C.

Rich in fibre, they could also be a key player in helping beat those January blues. With their prebiotic properties that help to nourish the good bacteria in the gut, as well as aid digestion and nutrient absorption, they are a step on the right path to a healthy, balanced gut microbiome – and as research suggests, a happy microbiome means better mood, better immunity, and better cognitive function!

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